- BRIDGET CATHOLIC CHURCH
RICHMOND, VA
OCTOBER 22 & 24, 2008
Reflections of Richmond
by Ann Loker
A week has slipped by and still the memories of two beautiful evenings at St.
Bridget Church are with me as if they were yesterday. Once again, our favorite
tenor and his esteemed pianist have given their all for the people of Richmond,
Virginia. Once again, this lovely church was bedecked with oversized fall
arrangements, greenery, and candles. It is such a jewel-like setting with accents
of green Connemara marble, painted Celtic designs and statues of St. Bridget
and St. Patrick flanking the altar.
By now, you will have read the song list for this fall’s tour in many reviews.
Mr. Healy opened the first evening by welcoming the audience and telling
them how nice it was to be here again. Anthony opened with a poignant, The
Old House and followed with a spirited Star of the County Down. Fairy Tales
of Ireland then returned us to a nostalgic mood. The beautiful Plasir D’Amore
gave us great pleasure, indeed. Anthony does such an exquisite interpretation
of classic love songs and this was just a taste of what was in store. The set
ended with Kitty of Coleraine, which delighted as always.
Raconteur extraordinaire, Patrick Healy, then regaled us with a story of an
Irish lass who returns home to go to confession in her old parish church.
She then displays some of her new talents for the priest and causes great
surprise and trepidation for those waiting their turn to confess. No one can
tell a story like Paddy Healy! He then gave us a bit of old Ireland by
singing The Spinning Wheel.
Play Gypsy Play from Kalman’s operetta, Countess Maritza, opened the
second set with a sprightly Hungarian/Viennese note. The audience was
then treated to an exquisite Ave Maria. Anthony Kearns always does a
fabulous job with this piece, but in this charming candle-lit church, it was
especially affecting. There were many misty eyes riveted on Mr. Kearns
for this one. The story of The Palatine’s Daughter was brought to us by
this master of musical history. It is a lively tale of an Irish lad who
reclaims a bit of his heritage through marriage to the daughter of an
emigrant landholder. No such happy ending comes to us in the tale of
Molly Bawn. I have often said that Anthony Kearns can sing a smile,
well, he can also sing with a relation of sadness that is incredibly
touching to his audiences. He certainly used this ability to the utmost
for the songs in these two performances. What a treat leads us to the
intermission! Our much-adored entertainers give us a rousing duet
version of Courtin’ in the Kitchen with the attendees joining in on the
chorus! Wow, what a grand time we are all having.
The second half begins with a sumptuous When Vienna Sings, which
was one of my favorites. THE VOICE just seems to get better and better.
Anthony then related the story of None but the Lonely Heart, which
was written by Piotr Tchaikovsky during some of his darkest hours.
Mr. Kearns interpreted it beautifully. We go back to the upbeat with
McBreen’s Heifer. It may not be politically correct, but the people just
love this little ditty. My Snowy Breasted Pearl returns us to the tragic
and displays Anthony’s talents to perfection. Mr. Kearns then takes
us all to Glocca Mora. And, wouldn’t we all just go right along to
anywhere he might be singing?
Dear Paddy is now back on with his church bulletin bloopers and
wonderful story of the Tosca performance gone terribly wrong. People
have tears in their eyes again, but this time they are tears of laughter.
On the first evening, by request from a fan, Patrick did his fabulous
Modern Major General. On night two, we were treated to a bit of
paraphrasing with The List.
The evening has flown and we are into the last set. Anthony brings us
a stunning I’m Falling in Love with Someone from Victor Herbert’s
Naughty Marietta. Another song I love is Somewhere a Voice Is Calling.
This has been recorded by many, including McCormack and Lanza,
but I don’t think any of them have done it better than OUR tenor!
We are now treated to another duet. Friendship has become a
signature song for a Kearns/Healy concert and it is a great tribute
to the humor and camaraderie of these two talented gentlemen.
If there is a bit of ham to be found in Mr. Kearns, the Mother Macree
line from this one brings it out with a flourish. The program ends with
the tender love of A Father’s Prayer. I am always moved by this song
penned by Paddy for his protégé. What a grand program we have
had for these two performances. I have never seen such a responsive
and appreciative audience. The first encore was a powerful Granada,
after which on the first night, the standing ovation lasted for more
than five minutes. Both evenings they were rewarded with a second
last song, Because You’re Mine.
A lovely reception, catered by parishioners of St. Bridget, followed the
program. Our gracious stars greeted and signed until the lines were
gone and only the magical memories of these wonderful evenings
remained in our hearts. My sincere thanks to all who worked to make
it so, especially to Monsignor Carr, without whose vision and faith,
none of it would have been possible. Finally, my love and appreciation
to two very special people whose talent is the reason for it all. Mr.
Healy is truly a renaissance man whose knowledge of music and ability
to share that is remarkable. Mr. Kearns is undoubtedly one of the finest
tenors to have sung on any stage. He simply gets better with each
performance. It is such a joy to see an audience react to his talent and
ability, and that is the best reward for promoting a concert on his behalf.
I adore these two and am very proud to call them my friends.
