Boston Pops Conductor Trades Tux for Kilt

Don a kilt, toss a tartan over your shoulder, and set off across the Scottish Highlands. Or dance a foot-stomping jig with the locals in Ireland.

You'll want to do all this after listening to the Boston Pops Orchestra's latest release, The Celtic Album. With Keith Lockhart conducting, the world-renowned orchestra gives a captivating and emotional performance.

The blending of traditional and modern Celtic-rooted tunes takes you from the lonely whisper of the main theme of the movie "Braveheart" to the skirt-swinging traditional dance medley "Highway to Kilkenny."

And the six-minute suite from the hit stage production "Riverdance" will inspire you to dance, too.

Guest-artist performances from champion fiddler Eileen Ivers and Irish-American musicians Cherish the Ladies give the recording added depth.

But for newcomers to Celtic music and aficionados alike, the message of "The Celtic Album" is powerful. As the last note fades, it's clear that the music carries more than catchy melodies - in it is preserved a people, a history, a dream.