Celtic Woman

[Geoff Withnell]

Watched their new PBS special last night. They use pipers in several places. This youtube link shows a group of them in a tartan I don't recognize at about 1:20 mark, and one in what appears to be Dress Stewart at 5:00.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1tDVSAqOpw

There is also I believe a piper in a saffron kilt at one point - makes sense, the ladies ARE Irish, I believe.

Fantastic show. They can surely sing, and their backup musicians are very good as well. There is a drummer I particularly like. And of course being a great fan of bare shoulders on lovely ladies...

[ForresterModern]

Picked up a pair of tickets to their local live concert about a year ago---great show, but they only had one piper, and he was only on stage a couple times. The PBS special done outside in front af some castle with a bigger support band and several pipers as well as some background singers is far more impressive. But I concur, four lovely ladies who can really belt it out, plus a fifth who can rip off the tunes on the fiddle and dance around the stage like a pixie. Definitely more Irish than Scottish, although they do throw a few tunes in there.

[Thomas H]

The Pipe band was Our very own Atlanta Pipe Band
Awesome bunch of Piper's and Drummer's

[piperdbh]

I thought that looked like Atlanta.

I'm still waiting for david Downes to call me to conduct the show for him.

edited to add: They're going to be in Asheville, NC on 25 February. Who all would like to make a kilt night out of it?

[Sir William]

I saw the first half and noticed the pipers in kilts.

We went to one of their concerts a few years ago and I was the only one kilted (besides the performers) so I got my share of looks and comments (all positive).

We're thinking of attending their performance her in VA in March.

[fshguy]

Obviously their voices are like angels, but I find their stage posture utterly distracting. Could someone please explain the awkard way they hold their arms? It seems decidedly uncomfortable and contrived; as if the director may have ordered them not to gesture by penilty of limb removal.

Ms. Agnew:

[Thomas H]

I agree ,There should be more Kilt people at these Celtic Women concert's and even Celtic Thunder --Kilts? rarelly

[piperdbh]

Obviously their voices are like angels, but I find their stage posture utterly distracting. Could someone please explain the awkard way they hold their arms?

It's a bit stylized, but the basic idea is for the arms to be comfortable at the sides, and the shoulders to be slightly back. The posture helps open the ribcage, allowing the lungs to expand uninhibited.

It seems decidedly uncomfortable and contrived; as if the director may have ordered them not to gesture by penilty of limb removal.

Contrived? A little. Uncomfortable? Not terribly. Some singers do go overboard with the posture. However, it might also be a function of the dresses they wear. If there's a bow or something scratchy on the outside of the dres, the singer will usually try to avoid touching it.

Ms. Agnew:

I've never seen anything wrong with her. She's my favorite.

[Thomas H]

I watched it for the Pipes and drums ,Not much drumming from the pipe band .
I was not happy about that . But I like the music.
If they would play more Bag Pipes that would be great if all there Men wore Kilts .That would be even better.

[piperdbh]

I watched it for the Pipes and drums ,Not much drumming from the pipe band .
I was not happy about that . But I like the music.
If they would play more Bag Pipes that would be great if all there Men wore Kilts .That would be even better.

The "uniforms" the musicians wear are a variation on "musician's black", where the non-featured performers dress to not stand out. If there were more kilts, the audience's attention would shift away from the women.
You might want to watch Celtic Thunder, Thomas. It's a really good show and has most of the things you're looking for.