Phil Coulter and Andy Cooney join forces for “Celtic Crossings” North American tour

Phil Coulter from Derry, Northern Ireland and Andy Cooney from New York join forces for “Celtic Crossings,” a rare North American tour that brings these two icons of Irish music together for a limited time only.

The show promises to be an evening of Celtic tranquility with some of classic songs by Phil Coulter sung by the internationally-beloved Andy Cooney.

Coulter and Cooney are pleased to be sharing the spotlight with special guest Geraldine Branagan and the Irish Pops Ensemble. The concert will feature offerings from their latest releases including Coulter’s “Echoes of Home,” a collection of “the most glorious Celtic melodies.”

Andy Cooney’s newest album, which will also feature in the show, “Bright Brand New Day,” produced by Coulter, features many of his songs, including a highly charge ballad of love and loss “Noreen.” Originally composed by Coulter as a wedding gift to Liam Neeson and his bride, the late Natasha Richardson, the melody was first named for the actress. It was years later, after Natasha lost her life during a tragic ski accident, that Phil added lyrics to the enduring melody and renamed the song “Noreen.”

This is the beautiful music video for the song, featuring Cooney and Coulter:

The “Celtic Crossings” tour will be traveling to the Berklee Performance Center, Boston, Massachusetts, on Saturday March 12. Tickets can be purchased in advance online at www.berklee.edu/box-office or by calling Bridget’s - An Irish Tradition at 508-285-9700.

About the artists

Phil Coulter

Phil Coulter is currently celebrating 50 years in the music business. Known as Ireland’s musical ambassador, he has captured the hearts of millions throughout the world with his evocative lyrics and melodies. His career is decorated with 23 platinum discs, 39 gold discs, 52 silver discs and two Grand Prix Eurovision awards.

Coulter has enjoyed a long and varied career as a songwriter, producing hits for a range of artistes from Van Morrison to Sinead O’Connor, from Elvis Presley to the Bay City Rollers. Who could forget “Saturday Night”?

In 1984, Coulter launched himself as an artist in his own right by releasing a piano-led orchestral album called “Classic Tranquility.” His follow-up album, “Sea of Tranquility,” became the biggest selling album of all time in Ireland. The “Sea of Tranquility” album captured the heart of President Clinton which led to numerous invitations to perform at The White House.

In 2007, Phil was the musical mastermind and original songwriter behind Celtic Thunder, an act which found huge success on PBS and has regularly topped the Billboard World Music Charts.

Phil's contribution to music continues to be recognized; he was awarded the Gold Badge from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors in 2013. He was honored on both sides of the Atlantic, in 2014, with induction into the Irish Songwriters Hall of Fame, and was given a Lifetime Achievement Award at Boston College.

Andy Cooney

Andy Cooney, with his outstanding tenor voice and dynamic stage presence, has captured the hearts of Irish music lovers from coast to coast. In 1994, Andy was christened Irish America’s Favorite Son by The New York Times.

Cooney’s first break came in 1986 from the well- known New York based Irish band leader, Paddy Noonan. They recorded several albums together and made famous the ever popular Irish “Wedding Song.”

Cooney recorded his first PBS TV special in 2006, “An Evening of Irish Classics,” a production that featured Cooney’s Irish band along with The Nashville String Machine. It aired in 40 different markets throughout the US and Canada.

In 2008, Cooney recorded his first symphony CD with the RTE Concert Orchestra in Dublin. On this release, Cooney was joined by Grammy Winning Artists Larry Gatlin and Crystal Gayle, and Irish tenor Ronan Tynan. This collaboration led to Cooney’s production show, “American Voices,” a three-artist show featuring Cooney, Larry Gatlin, and Crystal Gayle, which toured for a year, taking in 18 cities.

Cooney took the big step to New York City’s Carnegie Hall in 2009 and 2010, headlining “The Magic of Christmas,” which enjoyed two decisive sell outs in that venerable venue.

In 2011, Cooney formed The New York Tenors which now features the musical talents of Daniel Rodriguez and Christopher Macchio. The New York Tenors, who continuously receive high critical acclaim everywhere they perform, recently played to a packed Carnegie Hall in December 2015.

Cooney has recorded 18 albums to date, with his 19th release produced by Phil Coulter, called “Bright Brand New Day.”

Special guest Geraldine Branagan

Geraldine Branagan, with her trademark flowing blonde hair, has been one of the music world’s most glamorous stars since the 1980s. With hit records in Ireland and number one albums in South Africa, she was the first to entertain the Irish troops in Lebanon, and represented Luxembourg in the Eurovision Song Contest.

Some of her recent performances include The National Concert Hall in Dublin, The Cork Opera House, and Carnegie Hall. In December 2014, Andy Cooney and Phil Coulter teamed up with special guest Geraldine Branagan to create a production show: Celtic Twilight Christmas. The group enjoyed five stellar sellout performances in New Jersey, Philadelphia, Rhode Island, and New York's Carnegie Hall – a performance attended by President and Mrs. Bill Clinton.