WISCONSIN LUTHERAN COLLEGE
CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
WILMAUKEE, WI
October 20, 2006
What a treat to have Anthony Kearns solo in Milwaukee! After traveling
to The Windy City again and again (and again) to see and hear this
gorgeous voice take wing, I was beyond giddy when I learned we would
have the pleasure of his and Patrick Healy’s company here, not 2 miles
from my door. He had been invited to perform by the Wisconsin
Lutheran College Center for Arts and Performance, and was the first
artist to present in the extensive program’s Solo Voices concert series.
I attended with my husband and good friend, neither of whom had yet
seen Anthony in solo. I was as happy that they would be there as I
was that I would be there. They came away quite pleased with the
night’s experience.
The walls of the stage were made up of large dark wood panels with no
obvious doorway in sight, and my friend wondered out loud how they
would make their appearance. That point caused some laughs during
the evening, once as Anthony tried to leave the stage and couldn’t find
the proper panel and once when he appeared suddenly after a break
and rather surprised the audience. It helped later on when a backstage
angel opened the door a crack as one or both took their bows.
Anthony joked during one exit about whether he would choose
door number one or door number two.
The night’s repertoire included many of Anthony's more recent solo
standards (Kitty of Colrane, Trottin’ to the Fair, O Solo Mio, and
Patrick’s Father’s Prayer and Two Tenors duet), a few long-ago
standards (Percy French’s Eileen Og and Darling Girl from Clare,
Sally Gardens, As I Sit Here), and a new selection or two
(a lovely song written for John McCormack by “his friend”
Rachmaninoff in the voice of a father watching over his children as
they slept and saddened at their inevitable growing-up, and a Handel
song often used by tenors in recital, as my friend explained).
Patrick was wonderful, and worked his usual magic – with piano talents,
wit and charm - to the delight of the audience. Our man could never
be “just a piano player” or “merely an accompanist”. Never was, never
will be.
The 2-song disk, Fond Memories, was available for sale; the stacks had
down considerably by the time we left the theater. Patrick wrote both
songs, Hills of Home and A Father’s Prayer, and Anthony sings them
with his patented brilliance. Having Patrick at the piano, playing his
own compositions, makes the recordings all the more special. The
good thing is…we have two solo Anthony recordings on CD! The
bad thing is…we have two solo Anthony recordings on CD, and that
just makes us greedy for more. Ah well…
As almost a footnote, I have to mention that Anthony was suffering from
the effects of a cold, which Patrick surmised he must have picked up
on the plane (he had the misfortune of sitting next to a cougher/sneezer/
wheezer the entire trip). I say this as a near-footnote because his illness
did nothing to lessen the beauty of his voice and presentation. High notes,
soft notes, sustained notes, all pure and sigh-inducing as ever. If it weren’t
for his pink nose and slightly red eyes (and the occasional sniff), no one
would have been the wiser. I stand amazed at his abilities and his
professionalism. (Actually, it wasn’t Anthony that told us of his illness,
but Patrick. He admonished the audience not to tell Anthony what he’d
told us. Sadly but understandably, we went home without our
much-anticipated meet-and-greet.)
I am already looking forward to Anthony and Patrick’s return someday –
maybe they can travel by gray mare next time, and avoid a closed-in cabin
and that dreaded Contagious Cougher and Plague-bringer.
Judy Matzke
