Songs From The Heart tour has begun.

I had the opportunity to see the first three shows in Roanoke. I must say that they were the best I have seen so far. These wonderful ladies just blew me away with their beautiful voices. Máiréad, as always was electrifying. I cannot get over how great she is on stage and in person. When I listen to her all my worries go away. This is my review that I wrote on her forum.

My writing skills are not the best, but thought I would just write a short version of my experience in Roanoke. I always know how I feel, but not the best in expressing it in words.

I had the great honor to sit before these wonderful ladies once again. That almost never happened if it was not for the kind heart of a friend and forum member. Thank again Mike. You made another dream come true. I am just going to touch on the show and the after show.

I now have ten shows under my belt. Each one is as exciting as the other. I sit there on the edge of my seat scanning the stage and looking at how it was designed. I already knew we would not open with Mairead and The Sky and The Dawn and The Sun. That is one of my favorites and I believe it is a perfect choice to open a show. Mairead will always have her majestic beauty in my mind of those times when she would open and appear as a silhouette in the rising cloud. My first night I am sitting next to Jason and we are just waiting impatiently (like anyone could have patience for this) for the lights to go down and Mairead to enter with The Call. Of course, now we know that The Call was not the opening song. But I do like the way they opened it. The Sky and The Dawn and The Sun opens slowly as Mairead’s image moves across the stage in the dark. Same tonight. The ladies enter with candles and I could see their images move across the stage with grace and beauty. They continued to keep that image. Different song, but still just as beautiful.

Each show had something to offer. No two shows will be the same. It does not take long for the ladies to see us sitting down in the front. One thing that I love about these talented artists are the way they interact with the fans. Not many performers do that and that is just one of the several reasons they excel above others.

Anyone can tell that Lynn is a perfect choice for the Celtic Woman. Thank you David! She is very shy but she is getting better. Last year Lynn would look out into the audience, but mostly in the distance. Very little eye contact for those in the front row. I already noticed at the first three shows that Lynn is better with those in the front row. Just wish I could get her at a M&G.

Alex is one of those that I just fell for her voice and show performance immediately. Her new song, “My Heart was Home Again,” is so beautiful. Another perfect addition to the Celtic woman.

Chloe has grown so much over the last few years. I just love to watch her on stage. She is so perky and think it is so cute to watch her jump and skip about the stage. Her voice is so soft yet very powerful. I enjoy watching her sing. She hits the high note in “When You Believe,” perfectly. Just like Lisa on “The Voice,” Chloe takes her stand and gives it her all. I love it!

Lisa, oh Lisa. So many perfect solos. Her two new additions of “The Moon’s a Harsh Mistress” and “Fields Of Gold” are just, well, it is Lisa and I do not really know how to explain how beautiful her voice is.

I admit that I do not know a lot about Irish music. I also do not know a lot of Irish performers. But so far I have seen eight exceptionally talented women from Ireland that possess talent with a heart of love and compassion. When I talk to others about the Celtic Woman, one of the things that I mention is that they are down to earth ladies.

But I am a Mairead fan and I do not mean to undercut the other four fabulous ladies because I believe in my heart that all five are a critical part of this group and each one is just as important as the next.

Mairead just makes me MELT!!! I love instrumental music but never listened to a fiddle player much. In walks Mairead. She is just so interactive and watching her play “Coast Of Galicia” and “Granuaile’s Dance while at the same time giving us fans her unlimited expressions of smiles and eye contacts. I would sit and watch her move back and forth across the edge of the stage making sure she acknowledges each and every fan. Very pleased with the decision to play both of these songs in this tour.

“Mo Ghile Mear” is another of my favorites. I like the changes they made. Mairead of course does her part still, but I like the addition of everyone else being included. This is a true finale. Everyone throughout the show is given their own part in the finale. Great addition. I Love It.

Anthony is also an asset to the group. First of all, I love the sound of the bagpipes. Walking down the center isle on Amazing Grace really added to the song. This gave Anthony his own entrance for the song and it let him stand out as a critical part of the song. Again, love it.

I was all built up for the M&G. My heart sank when I heard Mairaed would not be at the M&G. But I will not complain. Every M&G I have had has had Mairead. I have been blessed. I bought Mairead a crystal fiddle and was upset that I could not give it to her, but I knew that it would still make it to her.

But any of the lovely five is a blessing to me. Chloe is so sweet and I just love her. I did have the chance to meet her last fall. But I got a new one. Have yet to meet Lisa (and Lynn, come on down). I was very, very excited to meet Lisa. Lisa is always full of smiles and she is no different now. Don’t get me wrong, Chloe is also a model of beautiful smiles.

I finally get to the table and some lady just steps in my way and decides to fix the curtain around the table. Come on lady, at least say excuse me. When I start to talk to these wonderful ladies I am in awe, as always. I planned to ask them about an old song that is in my top five favorites, “The Soft Goodbye.” I learned that night that Chloe, Lisa and Lynn have also preformed that song. I did not know that. I hope it is on tape somewhere and does surface. Lynn is a perfect addition for the song.

I still get a little carried away on the autographs, but I think I plan to tone that down. I would like to spend more time talking with these great ladies.

Songs From The Heart is a beautiful show and those three nights will always be part of my life.

But the three days in Roanoke had so many great moments. I got to meet new friends, such as John, Thomas, Jim, Don, Scott (all 3) and Jason. But I also got to see some that I met last year such as Scott (MP), Mike, Scott and Cindy (and they are a perfect couple), Dwight, and Dave. Thank you for a great time.

I learned a lot this week. Jim, Don, Dave and myself spent some time at the mall and sat in the lobby many times talking about the forum and the ladies. I learned so much from them. Each morning I would go down and try to use the hotel’s very slow computers. I would see Dave and we would have some great conversations. Thank you Dave.

I did not want the last night to end. I was not ready to go back to the hotel because I knew that would be it. So I joined Scott, Mike and Jason at Fridays. We sat there until 1:30am. I sat there and listened to Scott and Mike’s stories and found them to be very interesting. The time came when we called it a night.

So what really is CW Withdrawal? Well, I think it needs to be labeled as a real term cuz It does exist. The Celtic Woman have such beautiful sounds and if someone listens to them and not smile and at the same time break at tear, well than something is wrong. They do it to me all the time. Prior to seeing my first show I just had an internal drive or hunger to see them live. Got that chance last year. When I left that first show, the CW Withdrawal hit me and it hit me hard. I was in tears. Why, because I just left a show of five of the most beautiful and talented women and I did not want it to end. I am serious when I say that for the next three days I was not able to bring myself back up.

As I continued to see shows, I still got it but I would talk myself into realizing that I will see them again.

But something happened in Roanoke. These three shows touched me more than ever before. Prior to the third show I was already feeling the effect of CW Withdrawal. I knew what was coming. I enjoyed the last show, but deep down I was already hurting cuz this was it. I new I would see them again in a month, but this time I could not bring myself out of it.

This time it hit me harder than it did after my first show and I do not know why. This is why I did not want to go back to the hotel. Going with Scott. Mike and Jason helped me deal with it. When they dropped me off I was really down.

What happened this week that changed everything and made me feel worse than before, was my love and respect for these ladies. I have been a big fan since the first time I saw them. I am not sure how to explain it, but Roanoke hit me and gave me a double dose of CW Withdrawal. To me, these three shows are the best I have seen and my eyes opened even wider and I really saw and heard how truly wonderful Mairead, Lisa, Chloe, Alex and Lynn really are. It may sound a little crazy, but not to me. The Celtic Woman are in my heart, the best and I want to listen to them forever. That is why I think it hit me really hard this time. I did not want it to end.

Now I will wait impatiently for Cleveland. I am not sure I can deal with that show ending. If they do not return in the fall, it will be a whole year to wait. OH NO!

Something that I really enjoy at each show is the choreography. I find as much enjoyment watching the ladies move about the stage as I do hearing them sing. For example, the way they circled around to the top of the steps on Orinoco Flow and took one step at a time as the descended to Ray and Nick’s part. Same as isle Of Hope and so many more. Even Lisa as she rotates around while singing Fields Of Gold. It is just some very beautiful work they put together to give us the best.