"We felt we had done a lot of the Irish stuff," Nelson said. "In Ireland, they want a mix, and at this stage, they don't want to hear 'Danny Boy.'"
But in the states, they want to hear the "Irish stuff," he said. "Not that we're sick of it, but why don't we do an American folk song?"
Nelson said the transition from traditional to pop went over well in Ireland, though he said some critics accused the trio of "selling out" for a buck.
"That's absolutely not true," he said. "I always said the day I stop enjoying what I do, that's the day when it's time for me to start doing something else."
The album reached No. 11 on Billboard's Top Classical Crossover Albums chart, according to Billboard.com.
The trio signed with its first major international label in 2000 and has released five albums since. The group, now made up of Nelson, Matthew Gilsenan and Daryl Simpson, is working on a studio album and plans to release a live CD of a performance with the West Virginia Orchestra, Nelson said.
If you go
What: The Celtic Tenors in concert
When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 19
Where: The Maryland Theatre, 21 S. Potomac St., Hagerstown
Cost: Tickets cost $20 at the door. Series subscriptions cost $40 for adults, $15 for students and $50 for a family, defined as one parent/gaurdian or grandparent and their children or grandchildren.
More: For information, contact Helen Hubbard at 301-582-2734.
Hear it for yourself
Hear The Celtic Tenors sing "The Fields of Atherny" at www.herald-mail.com. The trio is performing Wednesday at The Maryland Theatre. To learn more about the group, visit www.celtic-tenors.com.
Concert series schedule
Hagerstown Community Concert Association presents its 49th concert series:
· The Celtic Tenors, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 19
· Karkowska Sisters Duo, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 5
· The Black Mountain Chorus of Wales, 7:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 4, 2008
· Quattrocelli, 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 7, 2008
