Hartfordrev11 - Page: 1 of 1

Christmas carols have been playing everywhere, since the day after
Thanksgiving. The stores are extra crowded, and the rude people are
out in force. It must be almost Christmas. It's been unseasonably warm
for December, and some of us just weren't in the mood to deck the halls,
ring sleigh bells, or fa la la la la. That is, until this past Sunday, when
Bushnell Hall, in Hartford, hosted three of the best emmissaries of the
holiday season, along with their conductor. The Irish Tenors had come
to call, and with them they brought all the trappings of Christmas......
mistletoe, snow, toys, a sleigh, Santa Claus, and best of all, their beautiful
voices.

The Bushnell was packed Sunday, and I didn't see one empty seat.
And the audience, comprised mostly of older couples, was most appreciative.
From the moment that conductor Eric Stern bounded out, the stage was
filled with faith, fun, good will, and beauty. As previous reviewers have
already mentioned the songlist, I won't bother to reiterate it. I must
confess, having been an ardent follower of the Tenors since 2000,
I was disappointed to find that the men had programmed some of the
same songs they first sang eleven years ago. Even though the men
sing them better than almost anyone, they were still the same songs.
But here is where I turned from Grinch to believer. The men were in
absolutely splendid voice, and tired as they must have been from their
travels, they sang their hearts out, and brought the spirit of the holiday
season to Hartford.

They opened the show with a stirring "Harp that Once Through Tara's Halls,"
followed by the wonderful "Isle of Hope, Isle of Tears," by Brendan Graham.
It was thrilling, and it brought me back to the first time I heard Anthony
begin..."On the first day of January, 1892...." in that clear, silvery voice.
It still gives me goosebumps. Ronan's first solo, "Grandfather's
Emigrant Eyes" was very moving, as he admonished us not to take for
granted the riches we have here, in America. The second set of solos
was the "coup de grace." Here, the Tenors sang three major-league
pieces, in their most beautiful, and heartfelt voices. Anthony began
with a gorgeous "Ave Maria," by Gounod. It was luminous, and there wasn't
a sound in the house, until he finished the song, and the applause errupted.
Ronan followed with the newest song of the program, "Hallelujah," written
by the "good Irishman, Leonard Cohen." As Ronan usually does, he sang
his heart out, and nailed the song. Finbar ended the section with a signature
piece for him, "How Great Thou Art." It was magnificent, and brought the
house down. The first half of the evening ended with the orchestra playing
several Christmas pieces The musicians responded admirably to Maestro
Stern's exuberant leadership. After the interval, came the fun part of their
Christmas shows, as the men came out to a sterling rendition of "We
Three Kings." That was followed by three of the loveliest Christmas
carols of all: Finbar sang The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on
an Open Fire), written by Mel Torme, with a lovely piano accompaniment
by Maestro Stern himself, and it was wonderful. Ronan sang (and danced to)
an evocative and heartwarming "I'll be Home for Christmas." And Anthony
sang a crystalline "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day." His perfect
diction highighted the beautiful words, based on a poem by Henry
Wadsworth Longfellow. And I defy anyone not to be moved by the words..
"God is not dead, nor doth he sleep," as the bells rang out. These were
a few of the evening's highlights, to me. But I don't want to forget "O Holy
Night," begun in French by Anthony, and continued in English by Finbar
and Ronan. And what seemed to me, to be the most moving and ethereal
song of the evening....."Silent Night." Begun in Spanish by Finbar, continued
in Gaelic by Ronan, and completed in English by Anthony, it conjured up a
cold, crisp night, with everything still, and beautiful. There was a hush
over the audience as they finished, and then a roar of approval. The Tenors
ended the evening with a fabulous :"Feliz Navidad" and after they wished
everyone Merry Christmas in Spanish, they proceeded to wish us all the
same, in Italian...Buon Natale. It was really uplifting. And yes......Danny
Boy made his usual, "every concert" appearance, so all really was right
with the world.

I can't close without mentioning the perfect musical leadership of
conductor Eric Stern. I sat in a different part of the auditorium that
evening, and really saw how he worked to coax the best from the
musicians, and most of all, how he "had the Tenors' backs." He was
ever attentive to their voices, and their breathing. Just a slight turn
of his head indicated when they should come in. And his exuberance
was contageous!!

So, although I began the evening disappointed with the songlist, I
quickly left that behind, to bask in the beauty of their voices, their
onstage camaraderie, and the wonderful songs that herald the
Christmas season. All that's left is to wish everyone Feliz Navidad,
Buon Natale, Joyeux Noel, Merry Christmas and Nollaig Shona Dhuit.

Berta Calechman