Celtic Thunder debuted in August 2007 at the Helix in Dublin, Ireland, accompanying the Celtic Concert Orchestra under the direction of Phil Coulter, the musical director of the group.
Since the group's formation, Celtic Thunder has released twelve albums: Celtic Thunder, Act Two, Take Me Home, It's Entertainment!, Celtic Thunder Christmas, Storm, Heritage, Voyage, Voyage II, Christmas Voices and Mythology as well as best-of collection Homeland, and twelve live performances on DVD, entitled Celtic Thunder: The Show, Take Me Home, It's Entertainment!, Storm, Christmas, Heritage, Voyage, Voyage II, Live and Unplugged and Mythology, as well as a Christmas performance. In December 2009 Billboard magazine named Celtic Thunder the Top World Album Artist.
Celtic Thunder is known for its eclectic style with songs ranging from a soloist to an ensemble focus. The group is backed by the Celtic Thunder Band on their concert tours, and their live shows are known for the use of dramatic effects via lighting and choreography as well as a stage set resembling an ancient stone pathway suggestive of those referenced in Celtic lore.
Members
The members of Celtic Thunder are (in alphabetical order of family name):
Neil Byrne (born November 16, 1977): Music has always been a major part of Neil's life. Born into a musical family, Neil’s father has worked as a professional musician his entire life and his mother is a huge fan of all music. By the age of 5, Neil was gripped by rhythm, which instinctively lead him to drum on anything in front of him. He began learning the guitar when he was 7, hugely helped and encouraged by his father. Later in life a mutual friend approached Neil and asked him to play at a function for one of Ireland’s most renowned songwriters and producers, Phil Coulter. When Sharon Browne and Phil began working on production for Celtic Thunder he was invited to record backing vocals for the debut DVD, and subsequently play lead guitar player for the live show. Neil would have to say the most memorable and prestigious performance of his career to date was in Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Since then he has toured America and Canada extensively with Celtic Thunder and most recently has joined the cast as the 6th leading vocalist with Celtic Thunder.
Paul Michael Byrom (born April 11, 1979) is from Dublin, Ireland. In addition to Celtic Thunder, he has also performed at major sporting events in Ireland and abroad, including singing at the All Ireland Finals in Dublin's Croke Park and at Heinz Field for a Pittsburgh Steelers game in the USA. He has also performed for Ireland's President, Mary McAleese, and for Emperor Akihito of Japan. Paul has released two albums: Velvet and I'll Be Home For Christmas. He left Celtic Thunder as of 2011 to pursue his solo career. Member from 2008-2011
George Donaldson (February 1, 1968- March 12, 2014) is the oldest member of the group and is a well-known balladeer, guitarist and flutist from Glasgow, Scotland. At Scotland's Celtic Park, Donaldson played to 65,000 fans at the opening match of the 2000-2001 season.
Keith Ronald Harkin, (born June 10, 1986), like Damian, is from Derry, Northern Ireland. He plays the guitar and has written one of the songs for Celtic Thunder: "Lauren and I". In 2008, a new solo album by Keith was rumoured to be in the working stages but has not yet been released as of mid 2009. Keith enjoys surfing and has written a song called Chasing Dreams that articulates his love for it. Keith has now recorded more original songs apart from Celtic Thunder, some titles include: Vanity, Don't Lose the Feeling, and What I Like.
Ryan John Kelly (born November 6, 1978) is from The Moy, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. He holds two degrees from the Queen's University Belfast, having earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and also a Graduate Diploma in Advanced Accounting, qualifying Ryan to be a chartered accountant.
Damian Joseph McGinty, Jr. (born September 9, 1992) was the youngest member of the group for 4 years and is from Derry, Northern Ireland. He recorded the first Celtic Thunder album when he was only fourteen years old. It is rumoured that McGinty will begin work on a solo album in the next 6 months. He won his first singing contest at the age of five. He recorded the first Celtic Thunder album when he was fourteen years old. McGinty lists Michael Buble, Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra among his inspirations.[5] On April 29, 2011 it was announced that Damian was chosen as one of 12 contenders for The Glee Project, a reality series on the Oxygen Network. He tied for first and had a guest starring role in the third season of the Fox hit TV show Glee. He debuted on Glee season 3 episode 4 Pot o' Gold. Though originally awarded a seven-episode arc, his run-time was later extended to 16 episodes including a guest appearance in season 4's Glee Actually. In the summer of 2013 Damian joined Paul Byrom for "The Me and My Shadow" Tour. McGinty is also part of Ethan Bortnick's concert.
Emmet Michael Cahill (born October 18, 1990) became Paul Byrom's replacement. 2010 was a very exciting year for Emmet Cahill; he was awarded the 2010 John Mc Cormack Bursary for the most Promising Young Tenor, and was named the most promising young singer at the Royal Irish Academy of Music. He has been a multiple prizewinner at the National Feis Ceoil singing competition in Ireland. Emmet is 20 years old and hails from Mullingar in County Westmeath in Ireland. His musical journey began when at just 5 years old he began learning the piano. By 7 Emmet had begun voice training, and he soon went on to win a music scholarship for high school in Mullingar and spend 5 years intensively studying and playing music. At school he furthered his studies in piano, organ and violin and vocal training, however singing has always been his true love. He continued his education at the prestigious Royal Irish Academy of Music where he received a university degree in Music Performance. He has been in many stage productions in Dublin and has performed on stage at the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin and as a soloist at the National Concert Hall. He is an avid sports fan and has performed twice at Croke Park in Dublin, in front of crowds of 90,000. One such occasion was for the 125th Anniversary of The GAA. He has also performed for the President of Ireland Mary McAleese and at several international rugby games Dublin’s new Aviva Stadium. Emmet also sings regularly at the Mullingar Cathedral.
He is a huge sports fan and has won many prizes playing football with his college and local teams. In his spare time, he also loves attending music and sporting events, playing the guitar and listening to music. He attended auditions for Celtic Thunder in June 2010 and was delighted to be asked by Sharon and Phil to join the show. Emmet Cahill is the latest addition to the Celtic Thunder family.
Daniel Furlong
Vocalist
Daniel Furlong was the newest (and youngest) member of Celtic Thunder. Daniel is 13 years old and hails from the town of Taghmon in County Wexford on the Southeast coast of Ireland. He is a boy soprano and was discovered when he entered a singing competition at the age of seven and won! Although Daniel is barely a teenager, he has been performing and singing in public for over six years. Daniels hometown of Wexford is synonymous with Opera and is host to the internationally acclaimed Opera Festival in October of every year. Indeed Daniel is no stranger to opera and played the role of Edgar in the Wexford Light Opera Society production of Ragtime in 2008. In 2008 and again in 2009, Daniel was also cast in the lead role of Oliver in the musical Oliver with both Oyster Lane and Festival productions. He has also performed solo on two national television stations in Ireland. In 2009 Daniel won an All Ireland Song Contest as a solo singer, competing with artists considerably older than he. In 2011 he won "The All Ireland Talent" Show a nationally televised talent competition and Irelands answer to Americas Got Talent. In light of all of his incredible achievements to date, his home county of Wexford honored Daniel by naming him "Wexford Person of the Year" for 2011.
Daniel describes himself as an outgoing and optimistic, friendly and a fun person. He likes to spend time with his friends and family, and he loves the chance to perform. He is quite competitive and loves playing team sports such as hurling, Gaelic football, soccer and rounders (softball). Music is obviously Daniels passion, he practices with his local choir "The Young Wexford Singers" every week and is also learning to play the guitar and the pigeon box. Daniel came to the attention of Celtic Thunder producer Sharon Browne, when he won the All Ireland Talent Show" and she quickly arranged to meet him. His energy and enthusiasm is infectious and once Sharon had met Daniel and seen him perform, she immediately offered him a place in Celtic Thunder. He performs an angelic version of Walking In The Air in the Christmas show and also sings solo in Heritage on Somewhere Over The Rainbow and the Josh Groban hit To Where You Are. Daniel also joins with other members of Celtic Thunder in the Ensembles and performs duets with Keith and Emmet.
Colm Joseph Keegan (born August 2, 1989) is from Dublin, Ireland. He attended University College Dublin on a music scholarship, graduating in 2011 with an honors degree in Music and Irish. Colm auditioned for and was selected for Celtic Thunder in May 2012 as a new vocalist, becoming a sixth member of the previously five-man group. He was formerly a member of the Aontas Choral Ensemble, who are known for their work with Celtic Woman. Colm appeared in the Celtic Woman DVDs 'Songs From The Heart' (2009) and 'Believe' (2011).
Emmett O'Hanlon (born July 9, 1991), Celtic Thunder's newest member, is Emmet Cahill's replacement. He is Irish- American. Emmett will be touring with Celtic Thunder during their Mythology tour and the Christmas Voices Symphony tour.
Beginning in March 2008, the group has been featured throughout the US on the PBS television network more than 1200 times, and during May and June 2008, members of the group were interviewed on dozens of local PBS stations during performances of their show
Celtic Thunder is also the name of a traditional Irish band formed in 1977. The band recorded three albums―1981’s Celtic Thunder; The Light of Other Days (1988), and Hard New York Days in 1996.
A Bird Without Wings
Celtic Thunder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That longs to be flying,
Like a motherless child
Left lonely and crying.
Like a song without words,
Like a world without music,
I wouldn't know what to do
I'd be lost without you
I get so lonely, when you're away
I count every moment, I wait every day,
Until you're home again
And hug me so tight
That's when I know
Everything is alright.
Like a bird without wings
That longs to be flying,
Like a motherless child
Left lonely and crying.
Like a song without words
Like a world without music,
I wouldn't know what to do
I'd be lost without you
Watchin' over me.
You're my guardian angel
My light and my guide
Your hand on my shoulder
And you by my side.
You make everything beautiful,
You make me complete.
Everything in my world
I lay at your feet
Like a church with no steeple,
Where a bell never rings.
In a town without people,
Where no voice in the choir ever sings.
If a boat on the ocean
Would be lost with no sail,
Then without your devotion
Surely all that I dreamed of would fail.
Like a song without words
Like a world without music,
I wouldn't know what to do
I'd be lost without you
Watchin' over me
I wouldn't know what to do
I'd be lost without you
Watchin' over me
Celtic Thunder's "A Bird Without Wings" is a song that speaks to the loneliness and sense of loss we feel when we are separated from our loved ones. The first stanza of the song likens the longing to be reunited with a loved one to the feeling of a bird without wings, a motherless child, a song without words or a world without music. Each of these comparisons speaks to the incompleteness and lack of purpose we feel when we are apart from someone who is dear to us. The song then goes on to describe the joy and comfort of being reunited with that person, and how they provide light and guidance in our lives.
The song's airy and uplifting melody mirrors the transcendent nature of the lyrics, as it encourages listeners to focus on the positive aspects of being in a loving relationship. This song is a reminder of the importance of cherishing the people who bring meaning and purpose to our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Like a bird without wings
Feeling incomplete and yearning for the freedom to soar and explore the endless possibilities of life.
That longs to be flying
Desperately craving the chance to break free from the mundane realities of life and experience something new and adventurous.
Like a motherless child
Feeling abandoned, lost, and in need of the unconditional love and nurturing that only a mother can provide.
Left lonely and crying
Overcome with sadness and despair at the thought of being alone in the world without someone to rely on for comfort and support.
Like a song without words
Feeling empty and soulless without the ability to express oneself through the beauty and power of music.
Like a world without music
Feeling as though life has lost its meaning and significance in the absence of the harmonious melodies and rhythms that make it come alive.
I wouldn't know what to do
Feeling lost and confused without the guidance and direction of someone who cares deeply for them.
I'd be lost without you
Feeling like life would lack purpose and direction without the unwavering support and love of a trusted companion.
Watchin' over me.
Providing a sense of security and reassurance in the knowledge that someone is always looking out for one's best interests and well-being.
You're my guardian angel
Serving as a spiritual guide and protector, providing comfort, guidance, and hope in times of need.
My light and my guide
Illuminating the path ahead, offering guidance and direction when the way ahead seems dark and uncertain.
Your hand on my shoulder
Offering a comforting touch and a sense of warmth and connection when feeling lost or alone.
And you by my side.
Providing unwavering support and a sense of companionship through life's many twists and turns.
You make everything beautiful,
Bringing a sense of joy and beauty to all aspects of life through your kindness, compassion, and love.
You make me complete.
Filling a void in one's heart and soul, offering love, acceptance, and understanding in a world that can often feel cold and unfeeling.
Everything in my world
Referring to the many aspects of life that are impacted by the presence and influence of a beloved companion.
I lay at your feet
Serving as a symbol of devotion and admiration, expressing gratitude for the many ways in which a companion has enriched and enhanced one's life.
Like a church with no steeple,
Feeling incomplete and unfulfilled without the presence of a higher power or sense of spirituality in one's life.
Where a bell never rings.
Lacking a sense of purpose or direction, disconnected from the larger community and unable to find one's place in the world.
In a town without people,
Feeling disconnected and alone in an environment that is devoid of human connection, community, and support.
Where no voice in the choir ever sings.
Lacking the sense of harmony and unity that comes from playing a role in a larger group or community, and feeling disconnected from the world around us as a result.
If a boat on the ocean
Referring to the sense of vulnerability and uncertainty that comes with navigating life's many challenges and obstacles.
Would be lost with no sail,
Feeling helpless and without direction when faced with adversity or difficult circumstances.
Then without your devotion
Acknowledging the profound impact that a trusted companion can have on our ability to overcome adversity and find meaning in life.
Surely all that I dreamed of would fail.
Suggesting that without the love, guidance, and support of a trusted companion, one's dreams and aspirations may be impossible to achieve or sustain over the long term.
Lyrics © MUSIC & MEDIA INT'L, INC., Spirit Music Group, Reservoir Media Management, Inc.
Written by: MIKE CHAPMAN, PHILIP COULTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind