Gaelic Singer Lisa Kelly to be Featured at Masterworks Christmas Concert, 12/8

Story by: Joan Doggrell

Masterworks' annual Christmas gift to Coweta County will include an extra treat this year. Lisa Kelly of Dublin, Ireland, who is a recording artist, singer and actor, will join the Chorale on stage at their December 8, 3:00 pm concert. The Centre Masterworks Youth Chorale will perform at the concert as well. Admission is $10.00 for adults (Masterworks' 10th anniversary price) and $5.00 for children.

The program includes traditional carols: "Still, Still Night," "Angels We Have Heard on High," "O Come, O Come Emmanuel," and "Good Christian Men, Rejoice!" Other, less familiar numbers are "African Noel," "The Hands that First Held Mary's Child," "Baby Born in Bethlehem," and an arrangement with bells, "Deep in Winter's Night."

Lisa Kelly has toured the globe with the Irish group Celtic Woman for 9 years, performing in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Radio City Music Hall, O2 World Arenas in Europe, Orchard Hall in Tokyo, the Sydney Entertainment Center, The Greek Theater in Los Angeles, the Wolf Trap Amphitheater in Virginia, and at The Fox & Orpheum Theatre Series and Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado.

Kelly has also performed at The White House for the last three presidents and has frequently appeared on hit TV shows such as "Dancing with the Stars," "The Today Show," "Kelly and Regis" and "Good Morning America." With Celtic Woman, Kelly has entertained over 5 million people worldwide with live concerts, well over a billion people through their TV Concert Specials and has sold more than 6 million CDs and DVDs. Celtic Woman still holds the ground breaking record of 52 consecutive weeks at the number one spot on "Billboards World Music Charts."

Prior to Celtic Woman, Kelly starred in "Riverdance-The Show" as the lead female vocalist and toured the world for over 4 years. During this time, she even managed to record her own Irish CD entitled "Lisa," which topped the Billboard World Music Charts for multiple weeks.

Kelly and her husband, producer Scott Kelly, opened The Lisa Kelly Voice Academy in Peachtree City in February 2013. The couple wanted to establish a non-competitive and confidence building environment for budding vocalists and performers. So far, Kelly considers this the highlight of her distinguished and varied career. Being able to share her love of the theatre and the discipline of the stage has been something she has always wanted to do, and she and her husband seem to have found the perfect place to do it in Fayette County, Georgia, USA.

Kelly feels honored to be a special guest vocalist for the December 8 performance with Masterworks Chorale at the Centre for the Performing and Visual Arts.

Joan Doggrell teaches English at West Georgia Technical College.