MEADOWBROOK08rev - Page: 1 of 1

The Irish Tenors opened their 2008 four-concert Summer tour Friday
night in New Hampshire. The men were in wonderful voice, but there were no
new songs in the concert, However.......( drumroll, please) the Tenors
are working on a new CD. This came from the announcer, so I hope it's
not another red herring. The program, which opened with "Only Our Rivers
Run Free," sounded well-rehearsed, and polished. In the past, the initial
program of a tour sometimes sounded a little ragged, and under-rehearsed.
That was not the case at Meadowbrook. There was a little "ring around
the songlist", as Karl began his solos with a really lovely "Lagan Love",
which many have come to think of, as belonging to Anthony. Karl sang
the song with an almost crooning sound, and the audience was mesmerized.
He also sang a gorgeous "Lift the Wings" from Riverdance, his voice
strong and soaring, and "Song for Ireland" dedicated to a woman in the
audience who was celebrating her 60th birthday. It's been a year or two
at least, since I heard Anthony sing Phil Coulter's famous song "Scorn
Not His Simplicity," and at the time I said that he would do it even better
when it got into his voice. The difference in his presentation Friday night
was impressive, even for Anthony. His voice was warm and luminous, and
the emotion he brought to the words was supremely moving. I can't count
how many times I've heard that song sung, but Friday night, I had goosebumps.
It was beautiful. As his second solo piece, Anthony reached back into the
past, and sang one of my favorite songs, and one for which he's justly
remembered -"Terence's Farewell." It was exquisitely sung, and his
perfect diction highlighted the poignancy of Terence's words, as he
tells his beloved Kathleen that she'll no doubt meet someone better, now
that she's leaving, and that his "blessings go with her, ev'ry step of the way
that she takes." And while he was revisiting the past, Anthony brought
back a wonderful piece of just a couple of years ago -"The West's Awake."
This song also has gotten into his voice, and it was stirringly sung, free
and ringing, with a glorious Top C at the end. It brought the house down.
Finbar began his solos with his beautiful, and justly famous "Isle of Inisfree,"
prefacing it with some sweet words about the great Maureen O'Hara,
who recently celebrated her 88th birthday, and how she still looks 28.
What a silver-tongued devil! Finbar's second offering was "Maggie"
and the way he sings the lines "... My face is a well-written page, Maggie.
And time alone was the pen......but to me you're as fair as you were,
Maggie, when you and I were young," is always so meaningful, and
movingly sung. And it must have been "Kathleen night" at Meadowbrook,
since Finbar sang an impassioned "I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen,"
and the audience roared with approval. I must make mention of the
richness of Finbar's middle range. It's truly velvet. The trios were
from the Irish Tenors' vault, and they never cease to please long-time
fans, and new ones, as well. "Spanish Lady," "Will Ye Go Lassie Go?",
"On the One Road," and "Red is the Rose," were met with much approval,
while the somewhat newer ones, like the beautiful "Parting Glass,"
and the Dublin Medley, were marvelously done, as was a magnificent
" The Town I Loved So Well". I did miss "God Bless America," and I do
like the idea of not having "Danny Boy" at the end. It always presaged
the end of the concert, but where it's placed now, there is still a lot left
after it, and I liked that. The men ended the concert with Andrew Lloyd
Webber's "Amigos Para Siempre," and it was terrific. Even though
it was taken at a fast pace, the mens' precise diction allowed us to hear
all the words of the song, and I think it's a great one. Maestro Arnie
Roth was not on the podium, and I must say I was very disappointed
in the conductor who took his place, especially in the first half. His name
is Eric Roth (I don't know if he is any relation to Arnie), and he conducted
rather woodenly, without the fluidity Arnie brings to the music. The tempi
were slower, and the orchestra didn't seem to have the spark and "brio"
it should have for this music. However after the interval, there was a
marked improvement, in all ways. Mr. Roth loosened up, and so did the
orchestra. It was much better. On the plus side, Mr. Roth was always
very considerate of his singers, and of his musicians. Perhaps he was
nervous, since it was only the first performance.

During the interval, I heard many people saying how much they were
enjoying the concert, and an Australian gentleman told me it was a
"special evening." One of the ushers also told me how much he
loved it. I responded with what I always say......"They're the best."