Celtic Woman, the all-female ensemble, energetically performed popular hits such as “You Raise Me Up” and “Ave Maria” in Eisenhower Auditorium last night.
The ensemble features violinist Máiréad Nesbitt and vocalists Chloë Agnew, Lisa Lambe and Susan McFadden.
With a mix of up-tempo and slower songs, Celtic Woman performed crowd favorites and traditional Celtic music.
Celtic Woman opened the show with the song “Awakening,” singing together.
Lambe sang the second song, “Dulaman,” and was accompanied by both of the drummers. Lambe had a pure, clear soprano voice that reached the audience.
After “Dulaman,” Agnew came on the stage to introduce the ensemble and the song “Nocturne,” a slower song that showcased Agnew’s range.
Agnew exhibited enormous vocal control during “Nocturne,” singing with deliberate arm movements.
Nesbitt played intricate solos throughout the performance, dancing around the stage with so much energy. At one point after she performed a solo, the crowd gave her a standing ovation.
After a few more group songs, McFadden sang “Caledonia,” a song about Scotland, with a clear, bright voice. McFadden has an extensive background in musical theater, so her voice was slightly more theatrical than Agnew or Lambe.
After a short intermission, Celtic Woman opened with a different arrangement of “Amazing Grace.”
The performance closed in an energetic finale that got the crowd to stand up and clap along with the band.
Ingrid Covasa (senior- English) said the performance was entertaining and vibrant.
Kelsey Taylor, a former Penn State student, said Nesbitt had a lot of energy and was jumping around the stage.
Laura Robbins, a resident of Lemont, said “I work all day, so it was nice to relax and enjoy the performance, especially with the kids seeing a good performance.”
