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.
The Sound of Silence
Celtic Thunder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've come to talk with you again
Because a vision softly creeping
Left its seeds while I was sleeping
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence
Narrow streets of cobblestone
'Neath the halo of a street lamp
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
That split the night
And touched the sound of silence
And in the naked light I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more
People talking without speaking
People hearing without listening
People writing songs that voices never share
And no one dared
Disturb the sound of silence
"Fools", said I, "You do not know
Silence like a cancer grows
Hear my words that I might teach you
Take my arms that I might reach you"
But my words, like silent raindrops fell
And echoed
In the wells of silence
And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon god they made
And the sign flashed out its warning
In the words that it was forming
And the sign said, "The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls
And tenement halls"
And whispered in the sounds of silence
The lyrics of Celtic Thunder's The Sound of Silence, cover of Simon & Garfunkel's original song, explore the themes of loneliness, communication, and the power of silence. The opening lines of the song depict the singer's longing to communicate with a familiar, yet hostile, entity: darkness. The singer suggests that he wants to talk to the darkness because he has a vision that he cannot understand, and that the vision was planted while he was sleeping. The subconscious nature of the vision song is indicated in the imagery of a seed planted, suggesting growth and transformation that happens out of view.
In the second verse, the singer describes his journey through a cityscape. The imagery of the narrow streets and the halo of the streetlamp give the impression of isolation and confinement. When the neon light intrudes, the tension between the silence and the noise is heightened. The singer sees people around him talking without speaking, hearing without listening, and writing songs that no one can relate to. The repetition of the term "sound of silence" underscores the magnitude of the divide between the people around the singer and himself.
In the final verse, the singer tries to break the cycle of silence by speaking. He calls the people around him fools for not recognizing the harm that silence can cause. He implores them to hear his words, take his arms, and join him. However, his words are ineffective, and they fall like silent raindrops that echo endlessly in the silence. The final lines of the song depict the people bowing and praying to a neon god and a sign that warns them of the prophetic messages written on the subway walls.
Line by Line Meaning
Hello darkness, my old friend
I'm addressing my long-time companion, the darkness, as I revisit memories of my past.
I've come to talk with you again
I'm seeking solace and comfort from the darkness, as I try to navigate through my thoughts.
Because a vision softly creeping
A vague thought has been slowly haunting me.
Left its seeds while I was sleeping
It has been growing unknowingly while I was unaware of its existence.
And the vision that was planted in my brain
This thought has taken root in my mind.
Still remains within the sound of silence
It has continued to linger in my mind and is only amplified by the absence of noise and distractions.
In restless dreams I walked alone
In vivid dreams, I wandered aimlessly without anyone accompanying me.
Narrow streets of cobblestone
I found myself in small, dingy streets made of uneven stones.
'Neath the halo of a street lamp
A street light cast a dim glow upon me as I walked beneath it.
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
The cold and wet climate made me pull up my coat collar in a futile bid to keep myself warm.
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
Suddenly, a sharp burst of neon light pierced my eyes, jolting me out of my reverie.
That split the night
It sliced through the dark, silent night like a knife through butter.
And touched the sound of silence
The quiet surroundings were interrupted by this intrusion of light, breaking the peaceful aura.
And in the naked light I saw
In the unforgiving glare of neon, everything was laid bare before me.
Ten thousand people, maybe more
I saw a sea of people before me, stretching as far as the eye can see.
People talking without speaking
I witnessed hordes of individuals conversing but not actually communicating with one another.
People hearing without listening
There were too many people simply hearing yet not truly listening to anything that was said.
People writing songs that voices never share
People were creating songs, but their messages never seemed to be shared or understood by anyone.
And no one dared to disturb the sound of silence
Despite the lack of true communication between people, no one wanted to break the cocoon of silence and address the issue.
"Fools", said I, "You do not know
I thought to myself while observing this strange behavior of people.
Silence like a cancer grows
This miscommunication is like a disease, silently spreading and corroding society at large.
Hear my words that I might teach you
I tried to reach out to people in an attempt to bridge the gap created by the lack of true communication with one another.
Take my arms that I might reach you"
I wanted to help people connect with each other and be there for anyone who is lost in this sea of disorientation.
But my words, like silent raindrops fell
My pleas were ignored and my words fell on deaf ears.
And echoed in the wells of silence
My words reverberated in the cavern of silence, that society was living in.
And the people bowed and prayed
At the end, everyone seemed to be surrendering to their fate.
To the neon god they made
Instead of seeking wisdom from others to address this communication gap, people were turning to the flashy world of consumerism and commercialism.
And the sign flashed out its warning
The signs and symbols only add to the confusion and chaos.
In the words that it was forming
The signs had a hidden message, a warning that went unnoticed by many.
And the sign said, "The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls and tenement halls"
The words of wisdom may be obscured, but they are all around us, written in the unlikeliest of places.
And whispered in the sounds of silence
It is only in silences that one can truly hear the hum of wisdom and knowledge that surrounds us.
Writer(s): GORDON JENKINS, NAT SIMON
Contributed by William Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@sandragresham1134
Love all Celtic Thunder songs old and new, love Ryan and Keith
@alexryder6297
I was waiting for this. Keith and Colm did this beautifully.
@afjlmp1
Beautiful! Their voices blend beautifully. Sound a whole lot like Simon and Gardfunkel, which is a big compliment.
@nenya5naynay19
Wow, I'm deeply moved against the fact I'm the only one tha comes on here 2 listen 2 these 2 great guys! The best song I ever heard of this version. 01-25-17 Eugene, Oregon USA
@rachelgaughan5393
I don't know what it is, but these two together are amazing.
@Dotty4109
OMG their eyes, so beautiful!
@cat4uhere
I am a big Simon and Garfunkel fan, and these two young men have captured the essence of that duo. Loved this rendition. I'm sure Simon and Garfunkel will be pleased when they hear it.
@memosamurai
Best cover version of the song to date....
@taiblademaster
This song is beautiful...
@bonniemiller1819
What can you say....... Beautiful song to match 2 great singers.