Do you ever get dropped into something absolutely wonderful for no particular reason? Something that comes as a complete surprise out of the blue? A couple of weeks ago an acquaintance e-mailed me letting me know he was given two tickets to see Celtic Woman for Christmas and asked if I would like to accompany him to the concert. When looking for someone to take, a mutual friend suggested me as someone who would enjoy seeing it.
Though I have probably heard of Celtic Woman at one time or another, I was not familiar with the group but he had me at Celtic so I said yes. Apparently, they are very well known and it is a very popular show. I didn't realize how lucky I was or what a treat I was in for. It was also my first time seeing the Hult Center in Eugene. It took my breathe away when I walked into the building. A lot of people were already gathered which only added to the impressive nature of the architecture. Over four stories high inside with an open ceiling of skylights, the staircase winds upwards with balconies overlooking the main floor below. Watching people go up and down the stairs with more looking over the railings, I felt appropriately small. The man I was with was very excited in his quiet way as he had looked at a map of the concert hall online and realized what good tickets we had. When they opened the auditorium, I was struck with the cozy yet light feeling of the room which can seat 2,500 people by using three balconies. We found our way to our seats, the sixth row past the orchestra removable seats. My companion was on cloud nine. The stage was draped in white fabric hanging above the instruments and multi-level set which they moved up and down and used as screens for various pictures and ligths for the various songs.
The four women came out in evening gowns along with their violinist in white. The violinist danced with that 300 year old violin throughout the show with fire in her feet. And the singers were incredible. The whole show was a mix of them singing together or doing solos, some songs I knew and some I had never heard before but have had in my head since. I loved the spirit of the show, the other-worldly, ethereal sound of it. Oh, and don't get me started on all the lighting effects they used which only heightened the music. For someone who rarely goes to concerts, I was amazed. Celtic Woman has a new fan. And I have never seen so many standing ovations in one show. Thank you to everyone who made me getting to go to that concert possible. I am grateful. Here is a video of Celtic Woman I found on youtube. You can bet I will be looking for more.