Bagpipes and Christmas were the themes of the Celtic Woman show at H. Ric Luhrs Performing Arts Center and the power of four men was the theme of the Tenors.

Celtic Woman, a group of four talented Irish songstresses, three vocalists and a violinist, sang and played holiday favorites to a packed Luhrs audience on Dec. 3. The group, accompanied by a full orchestra, complete with a grand piano and bagpipes, ran through Christmas favorites like “Let It Snow” and “I’ll Be Home For Christmas,” bringing the holiday spirit rushing into the auditorium.

The group has seen numerous lineup changes, but the current lineup could easily be matched up against any of the previous incarnations and hold its own. The moments where one artist was alone singing on stage were the quieter and more somber songs, leaving room for the audience to prepare for the bombastic return of the other members.

Songs such as “I’ll Be Home For Christmas,” which saw the entire quartet perform, were obviously the favorites of the audience, which would widely cheer and scream at the conclusion of the group numbers.

Despite the group numbers getting more praise for the duration of the night, the individual songs were just as good and showed off each member’s unique style and vocal abilities.

Máiréad Nesbitt was perhaps the most-loved performer. With her violin balanced on her shoulder, she drew her bow across the strings and danced wildly across the stage, making all of the eyes in the auditorium lock on to her and never leave. The classical Irish songs performed by Nesbitt in the middle of the set were the perfect break from the holiday music and added a feeling of lighthearted pleasure to the performance.

Everything was choreographed perfectly for Celtic Woman, from the spots on the stage where the members stood and delivered near-perfect vocal runs to the entrance of the bagpipe player down the center isle of the auditorium.

Ending the performance with the song “O’ Come All Ye Faithful” added another layer to the beautiful excitement of the night and got the entire crowd singing along in the holiday spirit.

Before the Celtic Woman show, there was yet another group of four outstanding performers, known as The Tenors. that took Luhrs by storm and left nothing behind.

The Tenors are no strangers to big shows with big production and beautiful music. The group started the night with the Spanish love song “Beso Me Mucho” and did not miss a beat the entire night.

During what was almost a three-hour set, The Tenors tore through songs from every genre imaginable, including original songs, hymns and even opera. Some of the most powerful music of the night came when Clifton Murray started singing songs originally performed by Luciano Pavarotti, a man who is widely known as one of the most successful and vocally gifted tenors ever to pick up a microphone.

Everything from Elvis to Pavarotti was sung during a set that could get any music lover dancing and singing in their seat.

The most impressive and touching song of the night came as the very last. An acoustic rendition of “Hallelujah,” the likes of which the audience may never hear again. The perfection of the group’s voices was allowed to soar over a single acoustic guitar and the night ended on a beautiful and powerful note that this reporter might never forget. 

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