Celtic Thunder Celebrates St. Patrick’s Day with ‘Legacy’ Special on PBS

Irish vocal group and stage show Celtic Thunder's recent "Legacy" tour has mesmerized thousands worldwide. Today, St. Patrick's Day, you can experience that same thrill and wonder in your own home. WETA-TV Washington will air Celtic Thunder: Legacy at 9:30 p.m. EDT. The broadcast will also be syndicated nationwide on affiliate PBS stations.

The program documents the ensemble's journey through multiple avenues of world music. Backed by an eclectic octet, the group covers multiple genres, including classical, folk and beloved pop standards. As Celtic Thunder singer Neil Byrne told Irish Connections Canada, the band of singers relish in offering their own spin on tried-and-true ballads:

"A lot of these songs have been recorded a hundred times. My favorite type of music is the old Irish airs that are hundreds of years old. People don't even know who wrote these songs. They're the type of songs, where people like Eric Clapton and the like, revisit these songs because they are just so irresistible to cover. They're just so irresistible, so magical and mystical."

Many music fans are familiar with the group thanks to former member Damian McGinty, who was a featured vocalist on the reality show The Glee Project. McGinty won the first season along with Samuel Larson, and subsequently starred in the hit Fox TV show Glee. As reported by MPTV in Milwaukee, the "Legacy" tour reunited McGinty with the group of singers and their stellar live band for a retrospective of popular hits:

"'Legacy' is a review of Celtic Thunder's most popular songs to date and sees Celtic Thunder soloists Keith Harkin, Ryan Kelly, Emmett Cahill and Neil Byrne joined by guest artist and former castmate Damian McGinty. As always, Celtic Thunder are backed by the amazing eight-piece Celtic Thunder Band on strings, guitars, percussion, whistles, pipes and more and are led by Musical Director David Munro, who also plays keyboards in the show."

Be sure to check your local listings for broadcast times of Celtic Thunder: Legacy in your area, and let us know what you think of the program in the comments field below.