Méav takes to the stage with her band in the Sugar Club on October 23^rd to celebrate the launch of her new album, The Calling. Produced by the legendary Craig Leon, (Blondie, Talking Heads, Ramones, Pavarotti), The Calling zoomed straight into the Irish charts at number 3. Eamonn Carr of the Herald calls it  “the most exciting development on her stellar CV”. Méav is a founding member of the supergroup Celtic Woman, who have sold six million records in the US and worldwide. Every album Méav recorded with Celtic Woman reached number 1 in the Billboard World Music Charts.

Now she  returns to her folk roots with this intimate concert . This is a rare opportunity to hear her sing live in Dublin.

Méav and her band will take you on a journey across Ireland, England, Scotland, Brittany, Galicia and America with  fresh interpretations of Ewan McColl’s The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, Sandy Denny’s Listen, listen  alongside newly written songs in the folk tradition. Don’t miss it.

“Tucked away at the end of Méav’s beguiling new album, The Calling, is her beautifully-poised version of the folk classic Black is the Colour. The song is clearly the most adventurous track on an album of complex and layered musical treatments, which occasionally echoes Clannad in the harmonies but is built on a personal, unique template” Paddy Kehoe, RTE TEN.

“A cracking new solo album that just oozes class” Joe Giltrap, Irish Post

Méav’s album The Calling takes you on a spiritual journey, a soothing aura radiates throughout the album, enlightening my mood on this cloudy Wednesday afternoon. Unlike the full-blown harmonies of Celtic Woman, Méav reveals her softer side in a more intimate record with lots of intricate details and rich arrangements.
The album opener is a flawless rendition of The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face which was originally sung by Roberta Flack. Méav added great sentiment to this already beautiful track; the high notes prickle the skin, especially when she reaches an ear-piercing note around 2.25 in the song.
The third track on the album is a light-hearted execution of Pentangle’s Light Flight. With dreamy harmonies and perfect vocals, this is one of the highlights of the album. Meav then takes on Sandy Denny’s Listen, Listen, which could actually be better than the original. Meav’s light, angelic vocals differentiate from the harsher raspier tones of Denny, an excellent rendition.
The Songline To Home is based on the original melody of Eleanor Plunkett by Turlough O’Carolan. The song begins with a sombre feel which contrasts with the previous tracks. I have never heard the original melody that this song is based on but I really enjoyed the poignant opening lyrics ‘When you open your eyes/ To another grey sky/ Do your dreams slip away?/ Do you long for the night/ When you turn from the light/ And escape from the day?’
The next rendition on the album is a charming cover of the well-known 19th century American spiritual/folk song Poor Wayfaring Stranger. There have been so many different renderings of the song but I found Meav’s to be chilling and pure.
Meav takes inspiration from WB Yeat’s famous poem The Song of Wandering Aengus to create an enchanting and uplifting song.
Black Is The Colour is the album closer and my favourite of all the renditions, sweet and soothing it is pleasing for the ears with a Jazz-like composition, Meav’s vocals are particularly entrancing on this track.
Meav hits the nail on the head with all of these renditions; she marks the songs with her individual soprano vocal and elegant charm and creates the impression that she has written these songs herself.
The Calling is perhaps the strongest solo effort of Méav. The generous amounts of spirituality and atmospheric beauty of this album promise to captivate audiences worldwide. Emma Barlow, FemaleFirst.co.uk