Arts Week with Judy Murphy

Celtic World at Christmas, an event hosted by and featuring Grammy nominated singer Éabha McMahon, will be staged at the city’s Black Box Theatre on Friday next, December 13, at 8pm.

The show, which celebrates the Christmas season and gives it a uniquely Irish twist, returns to Galway following a sold-out concert at St Nicholas’ Collegiate Church last year.

Dublin-born Éabha, who now lives in Galway, began her training as a sean-nós singer at a young age and has gone on to gain worldwide acclaim for her outstanding voice. At the age of 15 she joined the internationally renowned Irish choral group Anúna and later went on to become principal vocalist with the successful music collective, Celtic Woman. She spent five years with them, performing to huge audiences across the world.  With Celtic Woman, she also recorded five albums and filmed three television specials.

Éabha has been number one on both Billboard’s World Music and Classical Charts, and she also received a Grammy nomination, while her solo recordings, released under the name AVA have received worldwide critical acclaim.

Last year Éabha launched the three-day ‘Celtic World Forum’ in Ireland; hosting a mix of talks, panel, workshops and concerts, all connected to the world of Irish traditional, folk and Celtic music.

She did this having established an international following and realising the worldwide popularity of Irish music. Her aim with the forum was to allow music fans a chance to go behind the performances and get a close-up experience of Ireland’s diverse musical talent

So far, she has hosted two of these forums, which have drawn people from the USA, Canada, Australia and all across Europe, as well as Ireland.

“It’s incredible to witness the passion and talent that Celtic music inspires,” she says. “The forum is not just about preserving our rich Irish heritage, but also about fostering new talent and connecting artists and enthusiasts from around the globe.”

Éabha’s idea of staging Celtic World at Christmas in her adopted hometown grew out these forums, where artists were delighted at the chance to collaborate and perform with an outstanding band, and were wondering when they could repeat the experience.

Artists returning to perform alongside Éabha this year include Fergus Cahillane, Megan Walsh and Glenn Murphy. And, following their stellar performances at this year’s Celtic World Forum concerts, Éabha is thrilled to welcome multi-talented siblings, Séamus and Caoimhe Uí Fhlatharta, from Árd Mór in Conamara to the lineup.

Next weekends’s concert, in which these various artists will be accompanied by a band of top-class musicians, will acknowledge Ireland’s rich cultural heritage and reflect on the past while embracing the present, according to Éabha, She adds that it will be “a concert unlike any other”.

The show will feature classic festive songs alongside traditional Irish pieces and contemporary covers, offering a special Christmas experience.

Tickets for next Friday’s show at the Black Box are €40 and available at tht.ie, 091-569777 or the Town Hall box office.

Pictured: Singer Éabha McMahon, who is hosting the concert.