Six years ago, a 14-year-old vocalist named Chloë Agnew agreed to participate in a one-time, female-ensemble event called Celtic Woman. The young Irish singer didn't aspire to greatness; she simply saw an opportunity that any teenager would jump at.

"It was just supposed to be a one-night show, kind of like: Invite your family and friends along and sing a few songs and have a good time," Agnew recalled. "I think the reason I said I'd like to do it is because I thought I'd get the next day off school. I had no idea I'd get the call [that said] take the next few years out of your life. It's been an incredible roller coaster since then."

That first show in September 2004 turned out to be a smashing success, and the group Celtic Woman was born. The ensemble has been touring ever since and will perform Tuesday, March 2, at Reading Eagle Theater and Tuesday, March 16, at the Giant Center in Hershey.

Celtic Woman is touring in support of a new album, "Songs From the Heart," which opened at No. 9 on the Billboard 200 in January, making it the second top-10 album for these five young Irish ladies. Their 75-show North American tour kicked off in early February and will end in June.

"I was 15 when I went on tour for the first time, and that was really scary because it was packing your bags and sending you out into the big, bad world," Agnew said in a telephone interview before a show in Wilkes-Barre.

"There are big shoes to fill, especially getting up on stage alongside some amazingly talented musicians and your colleagues who have so many more years of experience than you do."

Agnew and her fellow sirens spend more than 10 months a year on the road. On stage, she is joined by Máiréad Nesbitt, Lisa Kelly, Lynn Hilary and Alex Sharpe. Together they sing music that spans multiple genres. In a given performance, Agnew can go from singing contemporary pop to classical music.

"I know they are two contradicting things, but my main roll in the show is that I do the more modern pop numbers with a classical piece here and there."

"Songs From the Heart" includes covers of such popular ballads as Sting's "Fields of Gold" and Phil Collins' "You'll Be in My Heart." Celtic Woman also, of course, incorporates Celtic and traditional folk music into the act.

Agnew describes the group's shows as family affairs with children, parents and grandparents often attending together.

Family has always been a key element for Agnew, who was practically born on the stage. In Ireland, her parents are successful entertainers. Her mother, Adele "Twink" King, is a notable actress and musician, and her father, David Agnew, is a professional oboist. Her bio cites her first stage appearance at the age of 4 weeks, and at age 9, Agnew won the Grand Prix at the First International Children's Song Competition in Cairo.

Her career began early, but in a lot of ways, she's just like other young folks her age. She still gets preoccupied with her iPod and really doesn't want to talk about her boyfriend. On the road, her social life is hard to keep up with, yet she cherishes every moment on tour.

"In one way, I look back and I kind of think I would have loved to have just been home hanging out with friends and doing normal things like going to the movies and stuff like that," Agnew said. "But, you know, I was very lucky that I've been able to see the world before I was 21. That's a very rare opportunity."

Celtic Woman will take the stage at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 2, at Reading Eagle Theater, 700 Penn St., Reading. For ticket information, call 610-898-7469 or visit ticketmaster.com.