With St. Patrick’s Day just around the corner, I decided to listen to some Irish songs. I’ve always enjoyed the Irish group, Celtic Woman. Diane and I attended one of their concerts and came away with their songs on our lips and joy in our hearts. I have many Celtic Woman CDs, but if you were to ask me which Celtic Woman CD to listen to, I’d recommend Decade.
Decade is basically a Greatest Hits set with 4 CDs full of Celtic Woman hits. Some are contemporary, many are traditional Irish songs, and some are classics. These CDs present the best works of the Celtic Woman group while celebrating 10 years of success.
Are you a fan of Irish music? Any favorites here? GRADE: A
TRACK LIST:
| The Songs | |||
| 1-1 | You Raise Me Up | 4:30 | |
| 1-2 | Caledonia (2013 Version) | 4:57 | |
| 1-3 | Orinoco Flow | 3:30 | |
| 1-4 | Fields Of Gold | 3:47 | |
| 1-5 | Danny Boy | 3:24 | |
| 1-6 | A Woman’s Heart | 4:24 | |
| 1-7 | When You Wish Upon A Star | 3:14 | |
| 1-8 | Amazing Grace (2013 Version) | 5:47 | |
| 1-9 | Harry’s Game | 2:29 | |
| 1-10 | When You Believe | 4:27 | |
| 1-11 | Bridge Over Troubled Water (2013 Version) | 2:56 | |
| 1-12 | May It Be | 3:45 | |
| 1-13 | The Moon’s A Harsh Mistress | 3:13 | |
| 1-14 | Isle Of Inisfree | 3:25 | |
| 1-15 | The Parting Glass | 4:15 | |
| The Show | |||
| 2-1 | The Sky & The Dawn & The Sun | 5:19 | |
| 2-2 | Awakening | 5:14 | |
| 2-3 | The Voice | 3:06 | |
| 2-4 | Newgrange | 3:06 | |
| 2-5 | The Call | 4:16 | |
| 2-6 | Songs From The Heart: Walking The Night/The World Falls Away | 6:41 | |
| 2-7 | One World | 3:47 | |
| 2-8 | Galway Bay | 4:12 | |
| 2-9 | Green The Whole Year ‘Round | 4:46 | |
| 2-10 | Follow On | 4:48 | |
| 2-11 | You’ll Be In My Heart | 3:59 | |
| 2-12 | Beyond The Sea | 3:19 | |
| 2-13 | The New Ground / Isle Of Hope, Isle Of Tears | 6:38 | |
| 2-14 | O, America! | 3:47 | |
| 2-15 | The Soft Goodbye | 3:58 | |
| The Tradition | |||
| 3-1 | Mo Ghile Mear | 4:49 | |
| 3-2 | Black Is The Colour | 3:43 | |
| 3-3 | Dúlaman | 3:04 | |
| 3-4 | The Butterfly | 3:00 | |
| 3-5 | Téir Abhaile Riu | 4:03 | |
| 3-6 | Siúil A Rún | 3:43 | |
| 3-7 | Scarborough Fair | 3:12 | |
| 3-8 | Granuaile’s Dance | 3:39 | |
| 3-9 | Níl Sé’n Lá | 3:34 | |
| 3-10 | Carrickfergus | 3:42 | |
| 3-11 | Spanish Lady – Live From Slane Castle | 2:22 | |
| 3-12 | The Coast Of Galiçia | 3:34 | |
| 3-13 | She Moved Thru’ The Fair | 3:29 | |
| 3-14 | My Lagan Love | 2:49 | |
| 3-15 | The Foxhunter | 3:27 | |
| The Classics | |||
| 4-1 | The Last Rose Of Summer | 3:36 | |
| 4-2 | Non C’è Più | 4:48 | |
| 4-3 | The Blessing | 3:48 | |
| 4-4 | Ave Maria (2011 Version) | 4:17 | |
| 4-5 | Lascia Ch’io Pianga | 3:30 | |
| 4-6 | You’ll Never Walk Alone | 3:57 | |
| 4-7 | Pie Jesu | 3:28 | |
| 4-8 | Nella Fantasia | 3:39 | |
| 4-9 | The Prayer | 4:18 | |
| 4-10 | Somewhere | 2:11 | |
| 4-11 | Vivaldi’s Rain | 2:10 | |
| 4-12 | The Lost Rose Fantasia | 2:16 | |
| 4-13 | Over The Rainbow | 2:36 | |
| 4-14 | Walking In The Air | 3:28 | |
| 4-15 | Nocturne | 3:32 |
I’ve never given Celtic Women a fair hearing, perhaps, since (or even particularly when I was dealing with them professionally for almost two decades) I’ve rarely been too fond of PBS pledge fodder.
But, on a slightly less Gaelic tip, check out this review of a “new”/newly-released (last year) Wings album which was actually recorded while BAND ON THE RUN was riding charts: https://bloggerhythms.blogspot.com/2025/03/paul-mccartney-wings-one-hand-clapping.html
Denny Laine doing in 1974 the biggest hit of his version of the Moody Blues, “Go Now”…I never paid close attention to wings, gather a reading of “Go Now” was not uncommon at their concerts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4w31Y9egl4I&list=PL74Uecfru1pFuvyRkcCxBUPHbrLZB56aN
I like this sort of dreamy ethereal music—it’s really good for a background when hosting a dinner party. I suppose my favorite song here is “Orinoco Flow”, which my oldest daughter, when a child, insisted on calling “The Sail Away Song”, and thus it has remained in family lore ever since.
She (in the original, and presumably replicated in all covers) does sing “Sail away” a lot more than “Oronoco flow”…
Todd, I’m a fan of “Sail Away” and “Oronoco Flow.”
Same song, unless I’m mistaken, George. She simply sings “sail away” a Lot more in the lyrics.
Deb, I’m a fan of dreamy ethereal music, too! DECADE delivers a lot of it!
Pleasing music but often presented with a bit too much splash for me. I orefer the more traditional Irish songs, and even some of the Irish-adjacent songs. At least they didn’t do “McNamara’s Band.”
Jerry, I also considered a CD called IRISH DRINKING SONGS…
I’m completely unfamiliar with the group. I tend to think of Irish music in terms of the Clancy Brothers.
Fred, Celtic Woman is a group of talented, beautiful women whose music is–as Deb accurately describes it–ethereal.
Nope. I know the name and have seen them pictured, but we wouldn’t know their music from The Clancy Brothers.
Jeff, think Enya-type music with an Irish flavor.
As a member of The Shamrock Club, I used to run a Pabst booth at IrishFest every year. The booth was located opposite one of the stages so I always got my share of live Irish music. I mostly just recognize the songs, not the artists.
March 17th is a big day at our house. My Mom was Patricia McBride born on St. Patrick’s Day.
Now it involves a visit to the cemetery to pay my respects but K. always makes corned beef and cabbage.
Beth, Diane dresses me in green on St. Patrick’s Day. I’m a little large for a leprechaun but you get the idea. And Irish music will fill the Kelley household from now to the end of St. Patrick’s Day!
They are staples of PBS pledge drives, or have been.