Belfast Telegraph

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24th December 2004

Three will be a magic number for Irish Tenors

By Eddie McIlwaine

The Irish Tenors - Finbar Wright, John McDermott and Anthony Kearns - will be paying tribute to ballad singer Charlie Landsborough when they play the Odyssey Arena next Wednesday, December 29.

These classical artists will be treating their audience to their version of My Best Friend, the song Charlie wrote and then turned into a hit on record.

"We've also put it on our latest CD to be released in the New Year," said Finbar today. "In fact the provisional title of the album is My Forever Friend. We sang the Landsborough ballad across America on tour and the Yanks loved it.

"We simply had to put it on the CD because of American people power. We would love to have Charlie appear with us on stage but his Christmas schedule clashed with ours so we just couldn't get it together this time.

"Charlie is an impressive songwriter and we will be using his material in future. I hope he approves of our arrangement and style with My Forever Friend which is a sensitive piece."

The Irish Tenors reached No 2 in the World Billboard charts with their CD We Three Kings and the one before that, Heritage, went to No 7.

Just for a change Finbar (47), will be in the audience listening to others singing on Christmas morning. "Or rather I'll be in the congregation in the chapel in my home village of Farran near Cork with my wife Angela to hear our children Fergus (12) and Ileana (10) in the choir at the Yule service.

"Christmas is a respite for me and the family before I resume our hectic schedule with the other two."

Tickets for the Irish Tenors at the Odyssey are still on sale at the usual Aiken Promotions agencies and on Ticketmaster.