Irish tenors + Christmas favorites = holiday cheer (just add your own Guinness)
Take Three Irish Tenors singing Christmas favorites, and you've got a formula for a crowd-pleasing show.
That was the scene at the Carolina Theatre last night.
The lads threw in some Irish standards, like "Danny Boy," for good measure, added cheerful banter, and stayed around afterward to gab with fans. So it was a fine evening.
Still, their current "Christmas From Dublin" tour, which began Nov. 29 in New Jersey, has a bit of an impromptu look about it.
For one thing, the trio isn't quite the same as shown on the Web site. P.J. Hurley is replaced by Des Willoughby. No problem there. My wife, the music teacher, liked his voice best of the three.
To my ear, they all blended well -- though Kenneth Regan sounds more like a baritone.
Then, they brought out a "special guest," introduced as one of Ireland's finest sopranos. I never caught her name, which didn't appear on the program or the Web site. She's probably sixtysomething, short, plump and an entertaining performer with bright blue eyes, red hair and strong pipes.
The group carried six backup musicians led by director David Wray (not that David Wray) on piano, with others handling violin, woodwinds and horns, percussion, bass and keyboards. The keyboard player seemed superfluous.
I'm not sure, except for Wray, that the musicians were regulars with the trio. Ciaran Nagle joked that the band from Dublin never got farther than St. James Gate, where Guinness is brewed. I'm sure many an Irishman has stumbled there.
Nevertheless, the three stars are talented and convey the warmth and spirit of the season, in their own Irish fashion. If you can't spend Christmas in Dublin, Christmas from Dublin isn't a bad substitute.
All that was lacking was the Guinness, but they send plenty to America these days. For those interested, an ample supply was available at M'Coul's just across the street.
Comments (5)
To report abuse of the comment feature on this site, please use the feedback form at the bottom of any page.
Doug, thanks for finally writing about David Wray. I know, not "the" David Wray, but for the N&R- it's a start, and we've learned we have to take small victories where ye may.
Can JR sing?
Posted on December 5, 2008 9:21 AM
You seem to be a one-note singer these days.
Posted on December 5, 2008 9:32 AM
Doug, as Hunter would say, when the going get's wierd, the wierd turn pro.
I guess you are right. What's a little local graft, conflict of interest, local media cover-up, waste of taxpayers money, people storming city hall demanding firing of incompetent town managers, race-player tax-payer extortion and other little things like that. If I was a man of the world, Iike you and Allen, I could just fatalistically forget about it, collect my paycheck and just say "it war ever thus"
What is this drivel compared to say ...Irish tenors for instance? In a hundred yrs. who will care and we may not be alive tomorrow.
Oh, Dougie Boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling...
Posted on December 5, 2008 2:19 PM
I thought so. You endorse the one-note approach. I should take the issue you are most passionately concerned about, and never think, speak or write about anything else because it's all less important.
Posted on December 5, 2008 3:03 PM
That sounds like the program. You in?
Posted on December 5, 2008 3:28 PM