Fans of dapper Celtic singers shower them with affection

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This article was published 25/04/2009 (6314 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Damian McGinty no longer sings Puppy Love.

If you’re a regular PBS viewer, you’ve probably caught the baby-faced, extremely poised vocalist from Derry, Northern Ireland, in repeated airings of the special Celtic Thunder: The Show.

McGinty was an angelic 14-year-old when he was chosen as the youngest member of Celtic Thunder, the latest pre-packaged Celtic act to take North America by storm via PBS. His rendition of the Donny Osmond hit made preteen girls swoon and grown women want to pinch his cheek.

But he’s 16 now. "Obviously, I’ve grown up," he says by phone from Chicago, where the group has taken a detour from an east-to-west Canadian tour. "My voice has matured and deepened. I could still sing Puppy Love, but not in the original key we recorded it in."

Instead, fans at the MTS Centre on Monday will hear McGinty warble a couple of similarly innocent Neil Sedaka tunes, including Happy Birthday, Sweet 16.

The polite singer, whose Irish brogue is so thick it can sound like a foreign language, concedes that there’s nothing remotely Celtic about Sedaka.

Then again, the Celtic Thunder repertoire, which is dominated by solos rather than ensemble numbers, also includes pop/rock songs such as Nights in White Satin, Every Breath You Take, Desperado and I Want to Know What Love Is.

McGinty says he didn’t grow up with folk music, and his current favourite artists include the British band Coldplay and American singer-songwriter Jason Mraz.

Celtic Thunder is often described as having five "flavours" of nattily dressed Celtic man — one to appeal to every female "Thunderhead," as fans call themselves.

Bald-headed George, age 41, is presented as the wise, mature one, Paul, 30, as the romantic one and Ryan, also 30, as the rocker. Then there’s 22-year-old Keith, the sensitive one with long blond locks who rivals McGinty as a heartthrob.

A song that has become a Celtic Thunder trademark, coming near the end of every show, is the stirring Ireland’s Call. It’s a patriotic rugby anthem penned by the group’s musical director, Phil Coulter, in 1995.

"It’s an absolute tradition before every Irish match," says McGinty. "I’ve been there myself at a match, singing that song — you just feel so proud to be Irish."

When the quintet belts out the song in concert, the crowd goes wild.

"They’re always up on their feet. There’s even some people doing the moves with us, SSRqcause they’ve seen the show (on TV or DVD) that much."

McGinty’s parents can’t travel with him because they have jobs back in Derry.

"I miss me mammy," he admits. "But the four guys all look after me. If I’m ever feeling down or feeling homesick, I’ve always got someone to turn to."

He pines for an Irish "chippy" meal of battered (presumably deep-fried) sausages and chips. "The grease and salt and vinegar — oh my God, it’s gorgeous," he says with rapture.

The group’s costumes include kilts for Caledonia, a number that tugs the heartstrings of every Scot in the crowd.

Young McGinty has had many more wardrobe adjustments than his mates.

"I’ve grown so much, you know," he says, "I’ve had to get new clothes."

alison.mayes@freepress.mb.ca

 

 ConcertPreview
 Celtic Thunder
 MTS Centre
 Monday at 7:30 p.m.
 Tickets $42-$65

 

Under the Thunder

Celtic Thunder’s five members were assembled through auditions by producer Sharon Browne, who also masterminded Celtic Woman. Their musical director is famed Irish songwriter Phil Coulter.

Three Thunder members are from Northern Ireland, one is from Dublin and one from Glasgow, Scotland.

The group made its debut less than two years ago. Celtic Thunder: The Show has aired more than 1,200 times on the PBS network in just over a year, vaulting the group to stardom.

Celtic Thunder has released two CDs and toured to 50 U.S. cities last year.

The quintet tours with a nine-piece orchestra and an elaborate set that includes a faux-stone pathway, video projections, fog and dramatic lighting.

 

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