LANDMARK THEATRE
SYRACUSE, NY
March 17, 2008
On a cold St. Patrick’s day evening, a crowd of admirers, mostly clad in green,
some with outlandish green hats, nearly filled this ancient auditorium in Syracuse.
If you wonder whether the Irish Tenors, nearly a decade old, with much the
same repertoire as in their beginning years, can still hold the interest and affection
of an audience, you needn’t worry.
The first major change in personnel since the turn of the century brings Karl Scully
to the Tenors. He has a beautiful voice, light, sweet and pure. If Finbar is velvet
and Anthony silver, Karl is crystal.
Karl brings fewer shenanigans to the stage than did Ronan or John. This leaves
it to Anthony to provide some of the evening’s comic relief. When a woman in
the audience cried out at the end of the first number “I love you”, a startled and
quizzical Anthony pointed first to himself, then to Finbar on his right, and then to Karl.
The concert featured more ensemble work than in the past, often in songs that
give each man a chance to show his stuff in a solo part, such as the Rose of Tralee,
My Heart Will Go On, and of course Danny Boy. And the harmony in the refrains is
gorgeous. All of the trios, especially Danny Boy, seemed new and fresh, even
if you’ve heard them a hundred times before. The lighter tunes, such as I Know
My Love, the Percy French Medley, and My Irish Molly-O, with their rhythms,
rounds and occasional jigs, and clapping from the audience, were delightful.
Some of this must be the result of new harmonies and a new blending of voices.
Or it could be the good, fast pace set by Arnie Roth, who had the evening clipping
along but without the feeling that the boys were in any hurry to get back on the bus.
Each of the Tenors had three solo performances, some accompanied with a
little bit of talk, and all glorious. Finbar, whose joy throughout the evening was
contagious, seemed to enjoy his incongruous South of the Border the most.
Anthony’s Grace and She Moved Thru the Fair could bring an audience to tears.
Karl brought to the repertoire The Water is Wide, an old English tune made
popular in the US by Joan Baez, as well as two songs that Ronan had done,
Lift the Wings and The Last Rose of Summer. It was fascinating to hear
the contrasts with Ronan’s earlier versions of the same works in Karl’s
numbers as well as in Finbar’s I’ll Take You Home Again Kathleen.
The audience would not let them leave. The tenors concluded with a rousing
Will Ye Go Lassie Go, and a poignant God Bless America.
Robert J. Rabin
