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Australian Celtic Music Awards Nominee 2015, this mother & daughter Celtic Duo are not to be missed!

Celine has travelled the world performing her haunting take on Scottish and Celtic classics, gracing such stages as The Grand Ole Opry, The Melbourne Concert Hall, The Sydney Opera House, The Bob Hope Centre in the US & The Chinese National Theatre.  She has toured Australia twice with The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards as well as Tours of New Zealand and the USA.  Samantha in her short career has had the priviledge to support both Rod Stewart and STING at NZs iconic Mission Concert, as well as performances in London, Jakarta, Australia & China.

Together they form ‘Mo Ghra 'my love'.  Their love for music, heritage and the love of a mother and daughter sees performances of truly inspirational and uplifting ’Celtic Passion’ their musical context spanning links between their native Scotland & Aotearoa-New Zealand". 

In 2011 Mo Ghra was formed during a trip to China where a producer told this mother & daughter that they should perform together! Upon return to NZ, they set about creating their sound and image. By 2014, they were well established and returned to China, including performances in Beijing and Shanghai and onto Australia. in 2015 Mo Ghra were nominated in the Australian Celtic Music Awards for 'best album' with 'ALBA TO AOTEAROA'. In 2016, Celine performed the infamous Chinese National Theatre where she secured an invitation for MO GHRA to attend a Chinese Festival in 2017 and they have now scheduled a Chinese Tour for 2018.

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Born in Glasgow, Scotland into a musical family, it was inevitable that Celine would follow the same path. As a teenager, her family emigrated to NZ and there began a wonderful and fulfilling musical career. At 13 she was winning talent quests and Country Music Awards all around the country and it wasn’t long before she was venturing internationally with performances across the globe.

Celine was a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde character as a youngster. Shy and demure off stage and a fire cracker under the stage lights. This endeared her to audiences both young and old as her infectious presence was hard to resist. Home life was with a large family and there was always music. Dad Jim was Country Music mad and had all the girls performing in the family band as soon as he could. Mum, Dad and the three girls (Lynne, Celine & Adrienne) entered competitions across the country and had the trophy cupboard continually full! As Celine got a bit older, doors opened and so began the television appearances, (including the successful NZ ‘That’s Country’ series) and opening act to major celebrities and recording albums.

Celine is an all round homemaker. She loves to cook, she sews & she knits. In the early days she made all her own costumes and there was always a cake for the band on rehearsal nights! Still is!

In 1984 she married Barry Green with a caution to him, never to make her stop singing! Consequently he took up managing her and is still her manager/husband today. Barry introduced Celine to the International scene and is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to first class bookings and performances in exotic places! They travelled the world and Celine gave performances in Australia, & USA including singing with George Hamilton IV at The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville Tennessee.  Through this performance she was invited back the following year as an International Guest at Fanfare Nashville TN.

In 1990 she took a break from music and they had a beautiful baby girl, Samantha Annie Toner-Green. What a joy! Before she could walk, she could sing and there began her musical career with mum and dad - today friends still call them 'The Three Musketeers'.

In 1992 Celine got back to work with two amazing performers Jodie Vaughan & Barbie Davidson.  They formed the group GIRLSTALK.  This was a fantastic time for Celine as she was introduced to the world of cabaret.  The girls choreographed and costumed their own shows and were together for 8 years. In that time they opened for Ricky Scaggs, The Little River Band and Kenny Rogers as well as performing in Fiji and Australia. Recording and television appearances kept them very busy.  Fun times to be sure! 

In 2000 she travelled to South America performing in Chile, Argentina & Brazil.  A whirlwind tour with PATA (Pacific Asia Tourist Assn) and an experience she will treasure forever. Two successful NZ tours performing the music of Shania Twain, and a 3^rd tour performing Celines Blues Show, were packed into 2001/2. 

2002 sparked her interest in Celtic Music when she was approached to Tour as sole vocalist with the UK based Royal Scots Dragoon Guards.  Taking her back to her roots Celine was enlightened and eager to pursue this musical avenue.  The 1st Tour took in 37 shows throughout Australia and NZ with subsequent Tours to the USA.  Celine performed at The Bob Hope Centre in California, The Sydney Opera House in Australia & The Melbourne Concert Hall in Australia.  Just three of the major concert halls of the world.

Since embarking on a career in Celtic Music, Celine has performed in Jakarta Indonesia, Australia and China. 

Meanwhile in green rooms around the world Samantha grew up surrounded by music! From age 7 she was eager to join Mum on stage and so made cameo appearances singing songs to delighted audiences. She was clearly a destined entertainer who craved the spotlight!

Through her high school years at Auckland’s St Mary’s College, Samantha discovered her love for classical singing and musical theatre. St Mary’s has a rich tradition in classical music being where the late Sr Mary Leo masterfully taught Dame Kiri Te Kanawa. Tutored by Catherine Harrop Samantha won the Junior and Senior classical singing cups, was the lead in her senior musical – the narrator in Joseph And His Technicolour Dream Coat – and completed the Royal School of Music examinations up to grade 8. Samantha was also given the tremendous opportunity to have lessons with the renowned international opera coach Francis Wilson-Fitzgerald being a former pupil of St Mary’s College.

With high school coming to an end Samantha decided she wanted to embrace her classical training and start a girl group with like minded young ladies. Samantha formed EVE, a group of girls who performed classical crossover songs. The group was an adventure for Samantha and Celine who helped manage the group. Throughout 2008-2010 the group had many successful performances at the likes of Coca Cola Christmas In The Park, TV3’s Telethon for Kids Can, along with various conferences, festivals and television appearances. The group was also chosen to open for Lionel Ritchie in 2009! After a wonderful trip to London to meet with Producers and Record Label Companies to further the groups career, sadly the girls decided to go their separate ways.

Samantha went on to join forces with Cassandra McCowan a former EVE member to form HEY MISS a pop covers duo. The girls opened for Sting and Rod Stewart at the 2011 and 2012 Mission Concerts receiving rave reviews and had many other fantastic performance opportunities throughout those years.

Samantha’s musical abilities grew and her stage persona developed. Performing backing vocals in Celine’s Celtic shows around the world, Samantha started to research her family’s Celtic heritage. Being half Scottish she felt a strong connection to the music and pretty soon Mo Ghra – My Love was formed.        

They are set to take the world by storm with beautiful renditions of traditional ballads and timeless classics.  Audiences around the globe feel their enthusiasm and lap up their natural vocal blend. Celine and Samantha love performing together…

What stronger bond is there than that of a Mother and Daughter…………….