I'm beginning to think that March is "tenors-fall-ill" month. Recently, when the
Tenors were at Foxwoods Casino, Finbar was very ill. This time, Anthony is not
well, and last night, John felt he was coming down with something, as well.
That being said, The Irish Tenors put on a great show at the Palace Theatre in
Waterbury. The theatre staff told me how thrilled they were to be around that
afternoon, to listen to the sound check. Don't tell their bosses, but I think work
stopped for awhile, as the staff kept peeking into the theatre to listen more
closely to those voices.
If possible, Finbar was even more delightful than 2 days ago, in "Little Brigid Flynn."
He added a few more dance steps, too. Do you think we should alert Michael
Flatley? As before, "Maggie" and "Forty Shades of Green" were really wonderful.
This bodes well for those going over to Ireland for Mr. Wright's solo concert tour.
He's in great voice! Despite not feeling well, Anthony's "Scorn Not His Simplicity"
was lovely, and very moving. I look forward to hearing him sing this when he's
at his best. "The West's Awake", which Anthony introduced as being "an anthem
for the West of Ireland," is a very difficult song. Most of the song lies in the middle
and lower range of the voice, and then at the end, it jumps up to a climactic high C,
and the singer has to change gears. Anthony made it sound easy. He has a firm,
beautifully placed high C, and it rang out gorgeously. There was a couple sitting
next to me, and at the end, the woman whispered, "what a voice!" John was also
not feeling his best, and he needed just a little help from his friends, in a couple
of places. But his lower range was still rich and beautiful, and I could definitely hear
John singing the low tones in the trios. It helped balance out the vocal line. Still,
"The Old Man" and "Legacy" did not fail to stir the emotions of the audience.....
even those of us who've lost count as to how many Irish Tenor concerts we've
been to. The orchestra was not quite as good as the one in New Hampshire,
but it was still effective, despite those ever-present flatulent horns. And the
concertmistress was very good in her solo part. Arnie coaxed lovely tones
from the musicians.
There was a Meet & Greet after the concert, thanks to Sean and CMI, and
I know many of the folks in the audience hurried out to purchase the "Sacred"
- As before, the men were unfailingly gracious, and good-natured. One thing
I noticed that I don't think I've seen before, was the fact that many of the staff-house
managers, ushers, security-asked to have programs and CDs signed. That means
that not only did they appreciate the talents of our guys, but they felt that Sean
and the lads were genuinely nice men.
A Very Happy St. Patrick's Day to all!
Berta Calechman
