Cherish the Ladies, one of the most sought-after Celtic music groups in the world, is staying busy with a national tour, and the six ladies will stop in Ames to spread some holiday cheer on Wednesday.

Cherish the Ladies is on a tour to support its newly released Christmas album, “On Christmas Night.” The current part of its hectic touring schedule spans 22 shows over 24 nights, with a stop in Cedar Falls, as well.

“It is a hard life because we are constantly on the road,” says band leader Joanie Madden. “We fly to most of our shows now because we have to play in a different state nearly every night.”

Although they have never performed in Ames, Madden says the musicians are extremely excited about the show.

“We have sold out 95 percent of our upcoming shows and over 1,000 seats for the Ames show,” Madden says. “Believe it or not, but the Midwest is our largest market in the U.S.”

Cherish The Ladies is comprised of six members: Madden on flute, whistles and harmony vocals; Mary Coogan on guitar, banjo and mandolin; Donna Long on piano, fiddle and harmony vocals; Marie Reilly on fiddle and whistles; Mary Rafferty on accordion, flute, whistles and concertina; and Heidi Talbot singing lead. The group will be performing with special guests Martin Reilly and world champion Irish dance runner-up Ryan McCaffrey, both of Riverdance fame.

“This is an excellent group of musicians and dancers,” Madden says. “I think people in Ames will have fun and be impressed by our show because we are featuring so many world-class performers.”

The group has performed in Iowa numerous times including performances in Cedar Falls, Waterloo and Des Moines.

“We love traveling to the Midwest,” Madden says. “The fans are great and they really seem to have an appreciation for traditional Celtic music.”

Cherish The Ladies will be performing the traditional Celtic carols “The Holly and The Berry” and “Wexford Carol” in addition to the classics like “What Child Is This,” “We Three Kings” and more.

“We play a good variety of songs,” Madden says. “We encourage the audience to sing with us so they can be involved in the show as well.”

She says anyone can enjoy the show.

“We all laugh and have a good time,” Madden says. “We love performing music and I think the audience can tell.”

Don London, the group’s manager, agrees.

“These ladies all have great personalities,” London says. “They are extremely hard-working and very passionate about what they do. They are very willing to go out and perform. They are very accomplished musicians, both as a group and as individuals.”

London says he met the group through country singer Kathy Mattea.

“I have been with the group for about two years,” he says. “They put on an excellent show and have good interaction with their audiences.”

London says the holiday show is a good starter show for those who don’t usually listen to Celtic music.

“The songs are recognizable because it is sort of a holiday show,” he says.

Before the performance, Morgan Halgren, host of Iowa Public Television’s “Living in Iowa,” will share thoughts and insights on the Celtic group at 7 p.m. in the Celebrity Caf‚ of Stephens Auditorium.