ANTHONY'S SPRING 2004 SOLO TOUR
St. Pius the Tenth Roman Catholic Church
South Yarmouth, MA
April 30, 2004
FINALLY!! After a very long winter, Anthony Kearns and Patrick Healy brought tangible and beautiful sounds of spring to the east coast! The last two concerts of Anthony's Spring Tour were Friday night, at South Yarmouth, and Saturday, May 1, at Bayshore, New York. Friday night's concert was a lovely one. St. Pius X Church is a beautiful church, with a huge altar, which was bedecked with red and white carnations, this night. The piano was center stage, and since there was only one step up to our stars, there was a feeling of intimacy and closeness, which pervaded the church. Anthony and Patrick walked onstage, and immediately captured the audience with their smiles. There were people on three sides of Anthony, but he turned this way and that, and brought everyone into the fold. The concert began with "The Old House", softly and wistfully sung. And it began to set the mood of the concert, which seemed to be reflection, nostalgia, pride, and a good amount of fun. Come to think of it, that's similar to most Anthony Kearns concerts. If I had one tiny thing to whine about, it would be the fact that Anthony sang no arias. But as the evening progressed, the songs were so heartfelt, and his voice was so luminous, I forgot to grumble! Since so many people have posted the songlist, I'll only mention some spectacular moments, and some of sheer perfection. The surprises would come the next evening.
After "The Old House", came "Trottin' to the Fair", and I've never seen anyone get so much fun out of riding a pretend horse, as Anthony has when he does this song. He's worried about his grey-eyed Molly, but I do envy her! There were several showpieces, such as "O Sole Mio", and "Mattinata", which were thrillingly sung. There was the charmingly sung "A Vucchella", which is becoming a favorite of mine. "As I Sit Here" was pensively sung, and the phrase "you held my heart within your hands, you crushed my dreams beneath your feet", was very moving. One of the most beautiful songs of the evening was "The Meeting of the Waters." I've heard it as an instrumental, but it's wonderful hearing it sung. The two other "comic" songs of the evening, "Kitty of Coleraine", and "Off to Philadelphia", were two pieces of cake for Anthony, and he had the audience firmly in the palm of his hand! But as usual, it was the ephemeral, supremely gorgeous duet "We'll Gather Lilacs", which brought the crowd to its feet. The "old-world" mood it conveys, along with Patrick's dulcet speaking voice and Anthony's shining singing, had several folks looking for tissues. The ever-present, ever-popular evergreen "Danny Boy" was wonderful, and the audience, which included many clergy, loved it. As an encore, Anthony tossed off "Granada" with great panache, and magnificent tones, accompanied with bravura by Patrick.
And now, to speak of that delightful man, Patrick Healy. He's master of his game, whether it's telling a very funny anecdote, singing a wonderful song, such as "The Foggy Dew", or playing an exquisite solo piece such as "The Aeolian Harp." Hearing Patrick play a solo was a marvelous experience. He's such a great musician, I'm sure he could have been a concert pianist. But the Fates decreed that he would meet, become friends with, and accompany a young tenor with a magnificent voice, and a starry future. And we are the lucky ones!
by Berta Calechman