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.
Voices
Celtic Thunder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Voices are calling
Voices calling
Voices calling you
There's a voice that is starting to call us
There's a voice that we just can't ignore
There's a bell that is ringing to tell us
There's a time when we're called to be ready
It's a time when a sign will appear
There's a time when we're called to be steady
This is the moment we know, that the moment is here
Why is we are here?
Where is we will go?
Will we just disappear?
Answers we don't know
Where will the future lead?
What will the future show?
How are we to proceed?
Answers we don't know
Why is it we are here?
Where is it we will go?
Will we just disappear?
Answers we don't know
Where will the future lead
What will our future show
How are we to proceed?
Answers we don't know
Voices call from the old days
Voices tell from the past
Ancient laws and ancient old ways to recast
Voices call from the future
How will our future last?
Voices call from the future
Is the future past?
Why is we are here?
Why is we are here?
Where is we will go?
Where is we will go?
Will we just disappear?
Will we just disappear?
Answers we don't know
Where will the future lead?
Where will the future lead?
What will our future show?
What will our future show?
How are we to proceed?
Answers we don't know, we don't know, we don't' know, we don't know
Is there a better way?
Why is it we are here?
Do we go with the flow?
Where is we will go?
What is the price we will pay?
Will we just disappear?
Answers we don't know
Is there a judgment day?
Why is we are here?
Is this the final show?
Where is it we will go?
When will the piper pay?
Answers we don't know
Answers we don't know
Answers we don't' know
The voices calling
The voices calling you
The song “Voices” by Celtic Thunder is a contemplative and reflective song on the uncertainties of life and mortality. The song begins by speaking of unseen voices calling out to us, and the need to respond to a calling that urges us to be prepared in life. The song further expresses the anxiety that humans feel about the future and what it might hold, including questions about the meaning of life, and the uncertainty of life after death. The song concludes by asking more rhetorical questions about the future and the fate of humanity, ultimately leaving us with the realization that we do not have definitive answers.
The phrase “voices calling” is repeated throughout the song, signifying the importance of listening to the messages within and around us. At times, the lyrics sound like an internal dialogue where the singer speaks to themselves, trying to find answers to questions that are on their mind. The song invokes a sense of hopelessness, where one is left wondering what is the point of life, and whether the choices we make in life even matter.
The song is a reflection of our universal human experience, and it reminds us that some questions may never be answered. It is a call to live in the present and to do our best in life while we can, with the hope that our voices and actions can help make a positive impact in the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Voices are calling
There are voices speaking to us
Voices calling
The voices are calling out to us
Voices calling you
The voices are specifically calling out to you
There's a voice that is starting to call us
We are beginning to hear a specific voice
There's a voice that we just can't ignore
We must pay attention to this voice
There's a bell that is ringing to tell us
A bell is ringing to signal something to us
We're in a time and a place like never before
We are in a unique and unprecedented moment in history
There's a time when we're called to be ready
We will soon need to be prepared for something
It's a time when a sign will appear
A sign of some kind will present itself
There's a time when we're called to be steady
We must be calm and firm in this moment
This is the moment we know, that the moment is here
We are aware that this is the pivotal moment we have been waiting for
Answers we don't know
We are uncertain about the answers to our questions
Voices call from the old days
Voices from the past speak to us
Voices tell from the past
The voices from the past are sharing their knowledge with us
Ancient laws and ancient old ways to recast
We have the opportunity to reinterpret and reshape traditional practices
Voices call from the future
Voices are also speaking to us from the future
How will our future last?
We are unsure about the longevity of our future
Is the future past?
We question whether our future is already predetermined
Answers we don't know, we don't know, we don't' know, we don't know
We are very uncertain of the correct answers
Is there a better way?
We are asking if there is a superior option
Do we go with the flow?
Should we follow the natural course of events?
What is the price we will pay?
We are concerned about the potential consequences
Is there a judgment day?
We question if there will be a day of reckoning
Is this the final show?
Are we witnessing the final act of a bigger production?
When will the piper pay?
We are wondering when we will have to face the consequences of our actions
The voices calling
The voices still speak to us
The voices calling you
The voices are still specifically calling out to you
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAVID GARETH ANTHONY DAVIES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Caleb Hopkins
Oh my.... The harmonies in this song are just breathtaking. Their voices mix together amazingly... I had goosebumps the entire time
Jibi Jacob
Hauntingly beautiful...touching lyrics...perfect harmony... aren't these guys simply awesome?
Barbara Foster
I think Colm Keegan is an absolutely great addition to Celtic thunder. He is so amazing looking with those eyes and his voice is out of this world, like an angel.
Elizabeth Mountain
I have been a Thunder fan from the get go. Love them, old and young. Their panache, their vocals, stage production, choreography, scenery, back-up band and singers. First class all... brilliant Sharon, Phil, and all concerned. I may be 61, but you all stir my embers and get me blazing!!! <3
Joanne Bowen
I have never heard such beautiful voices blend so well together...can't get enough!!!
A GC
i cannot get enough of their music. just love them.
Evelyn McGee
I just love Celtic Thunder. Could listen to them all day. Looking at them isn't bad, either!
BattlestarGaraptica
There is no better way to open an epic Celtic Thunder show without an epic Celtic Thunder ORIGINAL song. And "Voices" fits all criteria
mustangdaisy
Always love to hear these guys sing they always have such control over their voices, just beautiful:)
Nicole Horlings
When I first bought the CD, it took me several days before I listened to all the songs because I kept on playing this song over and over again.