St. Thomas More Roman Catholic Church
Glendale, AZ
October 8, 2004
The October 8, '04 concert at St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Glendale,
Arizona was a big success for the organizers, who held the concert as a
benefit for the Church Repair and Restoration Program for St. Helen's
Catholic Church. They had an excellent turnout and added some innovative
and classy touches that made the event unique.
When I received my tickets in the mail months ago, I noticed they had a
color photo of Anthony printed on each ticket, a novel idea I'd never seen
before. When we arrived at the church, which was spacious, modern and
beautiful, two gentlemen in formal attire greeted us upon entering offering
everyone a gracious thank you for participating. We were given white
programs with a color photo of Anthony on the cover. The male ushers, also
dressed in formal clothes, wore a sash diagonally across their white shirts
and black coats. We were shown to seats in the pews. My husband and I were
about five rows back from the front. The cushioned wood pews form a
semi-circle around the expansive, raised altar area. Behind the altar hung
a large carved wooden crucifix which dramatically stood out from the huge,
panoramic stained glass window of modern design at the back of the church.
Two large bouquets of flowers were placed behind the piano and microphone.
The performers were introduced by the woman mayor of Glendale, who gave a
brief history of Anthony's and Patrick's musical careers. After they
entered, coming down a side aisle through the pews, Anthony stood in the
curve of the grand piano, with Patrick to his right at the keyboard.
After the concert, for an extra fee, we attended the Meet and Greet held in
a separate room off of the foyer. They had a table set up for Anthony and
Patrick, and asked people to line up for autographs and photos. A
professional photographer was there to take photos of Anthony with each
person, if they wished. My husband and I both had our photos taken, then
went to the other side of the room, where the photos were processed. It
only took about ten minutes, and we were given our color pictures, still
damp, with a green frame printed around the edges. At the bottom was a
green shamrock and the words, "An evening with Anthony Kearns," the name of
the church and the date. They really make a nice keepsake. And Anthony is
so photogenic, I'm sure he looked spectacular in each one! The St. Helen's
Church Anthony Kearns Concert Committee did an impressive job preparing for
this concert, especially with all the innovative details I've mentioned that
made it special.
As for the concert itself---what a brilliant performance! Here's the
program:
Anthony sang:
The Old House
In the Gloaming
Trottin' to the Fair
Smiling Through
Mother Machree
Kitty from Coleraine
Anthony took a break after these songs and Patrick entertained us with a
story about an overweight singer who weighed herself at a "talking" scale at
the airport, and when she got on, the scale said, "One at a time, please."
He played a piece on the piano inspired by the sounds of wind over the
strings of a harp. As he introduced Anthony's next piece, he said
"Anthony's not an ordinary tenor," and commented on his versatility, being
adept at Irish songs as well as operatic arias.
Anthony returned to sing:
"La Donna e Mobile" from Rigoletto
Off to Philadelphia
Meeting of the Waters
Little Grey Home in the West
Because You're Mine
Intermission
Anthony sang:
With a Song in my Heart
As I Sit Here
Catari
Ireland Mother Ireland
Mattinata
Patrick took over again with three funny stories: An Irishman in a pub
ordering three pints of Guinness at a time; the actor Robert Newton playing
Richard III after drinking too much before the show; a wife on a solo
vacation who phones her husband and receives news that her cat died.
Patrick finished with the amusing song, "And her mother came, too".
Anthony returned to sing:
Girls Were Made to Love and Kiss
Terence's Farewell
We'll Gather Lilacs in the Spring (duet with Patrick)
Friendship (duet with Patrick, who wrote the song)
Danny Boy
Granada
In excellent voice, Anthony sang everything beautifully, and received
particularly lengthy applause for "La Donna e Mobile". There weren't many
fans attending this concert, so for most of the audience it may have been
their first time hearing Anthony sing. By their enthusiastic applause, they
were clearly impressed by his opening set of songs; but when they heard him
sing the aria, they understood they were enjoying the privilege of hearing a
tenor of major talent. The accoustics were quite good, and Anthony's
powerful notes were riveting. He also ended several songs with ease on very
high, clear notes, which showed his astonishing range. His disarming
comedic charm on songs such as "Kitty from Coleraine," "Girls Were Made to
Love and Kiss," and "Friendship," a duet between an old tenor and a young
one, received lots of appreciative laughter from the audience. And of
course, the romantic songs, with Anthony's tender voice and expressive face,
were simply to die for.
I don't get to go to many of Anthony's solo concerts, and only see them at
long intervals. It's fascinating to observe how his voice and presentation
have developed over the years. In the summer of 2001, I heard his solo
concert in Wicklow, Ireland. His voice was incredible then, and his
presentation was mannered, a bit courtly. Now his voice is even more
evolved, polished and finely honed, and he's totally at ease expressing
himself. He uses his hands in a graceful, natural way, as one would in a
conversation. And he's gifted not only with his marvelous voice, but also
with a winsome, mercurial face that conveys humor, or heartfelt emotion as
effectively as his voice. He's become a consumate performer, at the top of
his ability---at least, it's difficult for me to imagine how he could be any
better! It makes me wish that they still made the sort of movies Mario
Lanza made in the 1950's, because Anthony would be the perfect romantic
tenor for such a film. And then we would have that singular voice and face
preserved for posterity. Ah, well....
Those are my thoughts on the Glendale concert. At the end, during the
standing ovation, Anthony said he and Patrick had to go, but added, "we
shall return one day." If he does, I'll be there!
Lori Herter
People couldn't find enough adjectives - everything from "WOW!" to "Amazing!" to "Awesome!" I have never been thanked for anything so many times before as I was last night for this concert. We have many huge venues around the Valley of the Sun (Greater Phoenix area) where most of the world's top entertainers end up at one time or another; but I think what amazed and impressed people was such a big star in such an intimate venue up here in the northwest part of the valley, which has usually been overlooked by the entertainment industry.
Clara Brooks
Promoter