Rworcester3 - Page: 1 of 1

The Irish Tenors once again sent us their very best wishes for the Christmas season, with two sold-out concerts at Mechanics Hall, in Worcester, Mass. The men were in good voice, and continued to dazzle the audience with beautiful singing, laced with vocal pyrotechnics. The big difference in the second concert was our conductor. In the first concert, on Tuesday night, we had John Whitney, in the absence of Maestro Arnie Roth. He did an excellent job keeping the musicians together and supporting the Tenors. There were some spotty moments, especially during the overture, and at times the sound was a little ragged. But on the whole, it was admirable. The men were in good voice, and there was an abundance of beautiful sound. The new Irish songs are real crowd pleasers. "The Foggy Dew", "A Song for Ireland" and "The West's Awake" provided us with a musical history of Ireland, and a bounty of vocal beauty. "Go Tell it on the Mountain", sung with great relish by all three men, soon had us clapping and foot tapping, just like an old fashioned revival meeting. It was a wonderful evening, and if you had not gone to any other Irish Tenors' concert, you would have walked out of the hall with a big smile on your face, and renewed appreciation of the mens' talent. BUT.....on the second night, Maestro Arnie Roth returned. The difference was immediately apparent. He has complete control over his orchestra. I couldn't believe this was the same orchestra I had heard the previous night! Their sound was richer, more vibrant, and more exact. The "Mise Eire" was absolutely magnificent. And in fact, when I told Maestro Roth how wonderful the song sounded, he agreed it was the best he'd heard it done. Vocally, the men seemed more secure under Maestro Arnie's direction. Their voices were spectacular, and they relaxed enough to allow more horseplay into the program. But the bottom line is "the voice." And last night the men used their voices to great effect. Anthony's "The West's Awake" was stunning in its power and richness. Finbar's "How Great Thou Art", was the epitome of humility, pride and gratitude. And Ronan as well, encompassing both ends of the spectrum, from bouncy Jamaican rhythm to the simple serenity of "A Song for Ireland", all left the audience cheering and enormously satisfied. It seems appropriate that the men open their program with "Hark the Herald Angels Sing." Yes, you do, guys. Yes, you do.

Berta Calechman