Alex Sharpe is an Irish singer who is mostly known for being a former member of the ensemble Celtic Woman.

Early career[link]

She began her career portraying Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz at the Olympia Theatre in Dublin.^[1] Her career in Musical Theatre continued, as she played Janet in The Rocky Horror Show, Young Sally in Follies in Concert, Jenny in Aspects of Love, and Mila in Aloha Kamano by Sean Purcell.^[1] She was asked to play Eponine in Les Misérables for the Cameron Mackintosh Company in England and Ireland and in the Concert Tour of Les Misérables.^[1][2] Alex created the role of Bernadette in the Andrew Lloyd-Webber/Ben Elton Musical The Beautiful Game. On her return to Ireland she played the role of Kate Foley in The Wireman in the Gaiety Theatre Dublin.^[1]

Alex has sung with the Icelandic Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, The Danish National Symphony, and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra. She has made many recordings, such as on the Evita film Soundtrack with Madonna.^[1][2] She has appeared at a concert for the Princes Trust in the Mayflower Theatre, England and in 2006 she travelled to Chicago to launch the musical The Pirate Queen as principal female.^[1]

Celtic Woman[link]

When founding member of Celtic Woman Lisa Kelly went on maternity leave, Sharpe became a temporary member of the ensemble in 2008, saying that "I'm just in for this tour," and "It's a different style than I'm used to. But I've enjoyed learning the technique. My background is musical theatre, so this is something very different for me...But my philosophy is, you're always growing as a performer. There's always so much to learn."^[3] She admits that before she joined, she was not familiar with the group's music; "I'd never seen any of their shows...David (Downes, composer and music director of Celtic Woman) gave me a CD and some DVDs, and that was the first time I'd seen any of it."^[3] However, "I knew about the success of Celtic Woman and was thrilled to join," she said. "It was an opportunity I couldn't say no to."^[4]

In 2009, Sharpe became a permanent member of Celtic Woman, in effect replacing Órla Fallon. She has said that "The other members have been really encouraging," and "They have such a history together. I've never been in anything with such a high profile; usually you're much more anonymous."^[3] She has toured with the ensemble on their 2009 'Isle of Hope' tour, and has recorded a CD and DVD with the group, both entitled Celtic Woman: Songs from the Heart, released in January 2010.^[5] The group toured North America from February to May 2010 on their 'Songs from the Heart' tour.^[6] In May 2010, Sharpe announced she would be leaving Celtic Woman to be with her family full-time.^[7]

Personal life[link]

When asked where she developed her musical talent, she has said that "my granddad was a great one for singing songs and banging out tunes on the piano."^[4] Also, "I love 'Abide With Me' and 'I Know That My Redeemer Lives'...I love singing hymns. Music is a very powerful thing. I've heard it said that music prepares a man's soul to receive the gospel."^[4]

Sharpe is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.^[4]

She has a six-year-old son (as of 2008); "When I had my son, he became my passion in life", she said. "I tried to stay home and take work that wouldn't compromise my relationship with my son."^[4]

Discography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Alex Sharpe biography

This article includes a list of references, related reading or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Please improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (April 2011)

Máiréad Nesbitt
Máiréad Nesbitt at Barnes & Noble signing
Background information
Born	Loughmore, County Tipperary, Ireland
Genres	Celtic, classical
Occupations	Musician
Instruments	Fiddle, violin, piano
Years active	1996—present
Labels	Vertical, Manhattan
Associated acts	Celtic Woman, Coolfin
Website	MaireadNesbitt.com

Máiréad Nesbitt (pronounced "mah-raid") is an Irish classical and Celtic music performer, most notably as a fiddler and violinist. She is currently the fiddler for the group Celtic Woman.

Background[link]

Nesbitt was born to John and Kathleen Nesbitt, both well-known music teachers. She has a sister, Frances, and four brothers, Seán, Michael, Noel and Karl, all of whom are musicians. She has been a piano player since the age of four, and began playing the violin at age six.

Her formal musical studies began at The Ursuline Convent in Thurles, Co. Tipperary, Ireland, and progressed through secondary schooling at the Waterford Institute of Technology and the Cork School of Music, during which time she participated in the National Youth Orchestra of Ireland. Nesbitt completed post-graduate studies at London's Royal Academy of Music and Trinity College of Music under Emanuel Hurwitz.^[1]

Besides her family, Nesbitt has stated that her influences range from Itzhak Perlman and Michael Coleman to bluegrass artist Alison Krauss and rock's David Bowie and Sting.^[2]

Career[link]

After finishing her post-graduate studies, Nesbitt joined the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, thus beginning her professional career as a violinist at age 16.^[3] She later moved into solo performances, working with a variety of performers, including Van Morrison, Clannad and Sharon Shannon. She also spent some time as fiddler for the Irish group Coolfin, and recorded an album with them.^[4]

Nesbitt broke into the wider world in 1996 when she was invited to perform in the Michael Flatley show Lord of the Dance.^[5] There, she played lead fiddle until 1998, at which time she went with Flatley to his second show, Feet of Flames. She toured in this production, again as lead fiddler, until leaving in 2001. Nesbitt also played on the original soundtracks to both shows, as well as for the soundtrack to Riverdance.

Nesbitt released her début solo album in 2001, Raining Up, which features a broad range of musical styles, both traditional and contemporary. The album features a number of guest performers and members of Nesbitt's own family: her mother, sister, and brothers Seán and Karl. In promotion of the album, she tours with her own band.^[6]

In 2004, Nesbitt was invited to play violin for a performance at the Helix Theatre in Dublin, called Celtic Woman.^[7] The popularity of this and subsequent performances on television and live albums has led to five tours across the United States. Celtic Woman has released a total of seven albums to date: Celtic Woman, Celtic Woman: A Christmas Celebration, Celtic Woman: A New Journey, Celtic Woman: The Greatest Journey, Celtic Woman: Songs from the Heart, Celtic Woman: Lullaby, and Celtic Woman: Believe.

Nesbitt has worked with the bhangra fusion band The Dhol Foundation on their 2005 album Drum-Believable, has composed the original music score alongside Tibor Kasza for the tour of Irish Dance Invasion, a production based in Budapest, and has played and recorded with the group Afro Celt Sound System. Nesbitt also performed privately for HRH The Princess Anne during her visit to Dublin in September 2004. The Celtic Tenors Live in Concert DVD released in 2006 also features Nesbitt on several tracks.

Nesbitt is featured as a soloist on Walt Disney's direct to DVD film Tinker Bell. Joel McNeely composed music specifically to fit Nesbitt's distinctive style, and collaborated with her to further polish the music for Celtic authenticity.^[5][8]

Nesbitt is a former Fleadh Cheoil all-Ireland fiddle champion^{[citation needed]}, and was named by Irish Music Magazine as Best Traditional Female in 2003.

Currently, Nesbitt is working on a second solo album as well as an album with her very musical family.^[8][9]

Shortly before Thanksgiving, 2011, Nesbitt married Jim Mustapha, Jr., lighting director for Celtic Woman, in Maui, Hawaii.

Discography[link]

• Lord of the Dance (March 1997)^[10]
• Feet of Flames (February 1999)
• Raining Up (2001 UK Release; 2006 US Release)
• Drum-Believable (2005)
• Celtic Woman (March 2005)
• Celtic Woman: A Christmas Celebration (October 2006)
• Celtic Woman: A New Journey (January 2007)
• Celtic Woman: The Greatest Journey (October 2008)
• Tinker Bell (October 2008)
• Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure (September 2009)
• Celtic Woman: Songs from the Heart (January 2010)
• Celtic Woman: Lullaby (February 2011)
• Celtic Woman: Believe (May 2011, January 2012)

Filmography[link]

• Lord of the Dance (November 1999)^[10]
• Celtic Woman (March 2005)
• Celtic Woman: A New Journey (January 2007)
• Celtic Woman: A Christmas Celebration (October 2007)
• Celtic Woman: The Greatest Journey (October 2008)
• Celtic Woman: Songs from the Heart (January 2010)
• Celtic Woman: Lullaby (February 2011)
• Celtic Woman: Believe (January 2012)

References[link]

External links[link]

• MaireadNesbitt.com - Official website
• Profile at Celticwoman.com
• Máiréad Nesbitt at the Internet Movie Database

Damian Wilson

Damian Wilson (born 11 October, England)^[1] is a singer known in the progressive rock genre. He is lead singer with the band Headspace along with Adam Wakeman and is lead singer for Threshold.

Damian was lead singer for Landmarq and recorded four non-Progressive singer-songwriter solo studio albums (Cosmas, Disciple, Live in Rehearsal and Let's Start a Commune). Aside from performing as a solo artist, he has often performed with several guest musicians as the Damian Wilson Band. The last DWB tour was filmed and released on DVD^[2].

He has also worked on projects with Ayreon, Star One and Gary Hughes and played the lead role of Jean Valjean in the musical Les Misérables. Damian has also worked with Rick Wakeman's English Rock Ensemble, Guy Fletcher, Aina, After Forever, Mostly Autumn and Praying Mantis.

In 2007, Wilson returned to Threshold as replacement for lead vocalist Mac for the "Live Reckoning" tour. A new Threshold album is to be released in 2012)^[3].

He is currently frontman for the first instalment of the Maiden uniteD project.

In November 2011 Damian released a retrospective double album called I Thought The World Was Listening. 1997 – 2011^[4] containing 31 remastered songs, including new versions and previously unreleased material.

In March 2012 his first album "Cosmas" was remastered and rereleased as "Cosmas - Remastered".

Discography[link]

Solo albums[link]

• Cosmas - 1997 (Remastered version released in 2012)
• Disciple - 2001
• Live in Rehearsal (live) - 2002
• Let's Start a Commune - 2003
• 20 Years Of Avoiding A Job (Dvd) - 2011
• I Thought The World Was Listening. 1997 - 2011 - 2011
• Cosmas - remastered - 2012

With Landmarq[link]

• Solitary Witness - 1992
• Infinity Parade - 1993
• The Vision Pit - 1995

With Threshold[link]

• Wounded Land - 1993
• Extinct Instinct – 1997
• Paradox – 2009 (singles box set)
• March of Progress – 2012 (to be released)

With Rick Wakeman and the New English Rock Ensemble[link]

• Out Of The Blue (live) – 2001
• Live in Buenos Aires (DVD) - 2001
• Out There - The movie - 2003

With Headspace[link]

• I Am (Ep) - 2007
• I Am Anonymous - 2012

With Maiden United[link]

• Mind the Acoustic Pieces - 2010
• The Trooper (Single) - 2010

With Arjen Anthony Lucassen[link]

• Ayreon - Into the Electric Castle - 1998
• Ayreon - Universal Migrator Part 1: The Dream Sequencer – 2000 (Lead vocals on "And the Druids Turned to Stone")
• Ayreon - Universal Migrator Part 2: Flight of the Migrator – 2000 (Backing vocals on "Dawn of a Million Souls")
• Ayreon - Ayreonauts Only – 2000 (Lead vocals on "Into the Black Hole")
• Star One - Space Metal – 2002
• Star One - Live on Earth – 2003
• Stream of Passion - Live in the Real World – 2006
• Star One - Victims of the Modern Age – 2010

With Other Artists[link]

• LaSalle – LaSalle – 1993
• Tales from Yesterday w/Jeronimo Road - 1995 (Lead vocals on the "Starship Trooper")
• Micha Calvin - Evolution 2 - 1995 (Backing vocals)
• Shadowland - Mad as a Hatter – 1996 (Backing vocals on "Salvation Comes")
• Revealing Songs of Yes -2001 (Lead vocals on "Going For the One" & "And You & I")
• After Forever- Emphasis (Single) – 2001 (Lead vocals on "Imperfect Tenses" & "Who Wants to Live Forever")
• Shadowkeep- A Chaos Theory – 2001 (Backing vocals)
• Wicked Sensation- Reflected – 2002 (Backing vocals on "You're the Answer", "Stand Tall", "Highspeed Chase", "The Preacher", "Night on Fire", "Caught in a Fantasy", "Let it Ride", and "Joker in the Pack")
• Mostly Autumn - Passengers – 2003 (Backing vocals)
• Gary Hughes - Once & Future King Part 1 - 2003 (Lead vocals on "Excalibur")
• Aina - Days of Rising Doom – 2003 (Vocals on "Revelations")
• Shadrane – Neurastasia - 2004
• Jeronimo Road - Live at the Orange - 2006
• Resource - More Than a Feeling – 2006 (Single)
• Bass Bumpers - 2006
• After Forever - Mea Culpa - 2006
• Port Mahadia – Echoes in Time- 2007
• Casual Silence - Lost In Life – 2007 (Guest Vocals)
• Guy Fletcher – Inamorata – 2008 (Backing Vocals)
• Galexia – Recidivate – 2008 (Single)
• Archangel - The Akallabeth - 2009
• Seti - Discoveries - 2010
• Unwritten Pages – Part 1. Noah - 2010
• For All We Know – For All We Know - 2011
• Peter Gee - East Of Eden - 2011

Films[link]

• Guy Fletcher - Sergeant Pepper – My Best Friend vocals/co-written (2004
• Guy Fletcher – Spirit Trap - Tie me down (Spirit Trap) vocal/co-written (2006)

References[link]

• Axiom of Choice

1. ^ http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1627702364&ref=ts#/profile.php?id=1627702364&ref=mf
2. ^ http://www.vidiarts.eu Vidiarts
3. ^ http://www.thresh.net Threshold official website
4. ^ http://www.damian-wilson.net

External links[link]

• Official website
• Damian Wilson on Myspace
• Headspace official site