The News & Observer

Raleigh, NC

© All Rights Reserved
Monday 12th August 2002

Look who's coming - the pipes are calling
By TODD LOTHERY, Staff Writer

CARY - The success of the Irish Tenors can't be chalked up to the luck of the Irish. When you've sold millions of albums, something besides luck is operating.

Something like talent and perseverance. And, perhaps most of all, accessibility.

Unlike the more famous Three Tenors, the Irish Tenors do not live in the rarefied world of opera. Although all three members have opera experience, they are committed to performing the traditional songs of Ireland. Nothing against opera, but it's fair to say that more people can hum a few bars of "Danny Boy" than discuss the finer points of Puccini.

In other words, audiences can relate. They relate to the songs -- some boisterous, some wistful, all grounded in the storytelling tradition and characterized by universal themes. And they relate to the singers, who perform with passion, good humor and grace.

The Irish Tenors, who perform with a full orchestra Sunday in Cary, came together in 1998. A concert broadcast on PBS brought them to the attention of American audiences, who fervently embraced them on their first U.S. tour in 1999. The trio -- Ronan Tynan, Anthony Kearns and Finbar Wright -- recently released their fifth CD and have been selling out shows on their current tour.

We caught up with Kearns, the youngest of the tenors, who turns 31 the day before the Cary show, by phone from Chicago.

Q You've had such phenomenal success as a group. Why do you think you work together so well?

A Because we're so different, vocally and personality-wise, and anything can happen. Professionally we just seem to jell, and personally we get on well.

Q You perform mostly traditional songs that have been around for decades. What is it about those songs that makes them timeless?

A Well, first of all, the very fact that they've been around for so long. The songs are history recorded, and people love that part of it, the fact that it's real, it happened. A lot of the songs are about the history of Ireland, about the hardships that people endured, about love and death and leaving your loved ones behind. Those are human things that people can relate to. A lot of people would say that the music is very sad and very depressing in a way, but on the other hand you have a lot of upbeat songs, songs that are full of character and characters. It just shows that through all the sadness and all the sorrow and all the suffering that our ancestors went through, they had personality and had a bit of fun. They found an escape through their music.

Q Do you ever get tired of performing them?

A Never. They're great songs, and we take pride in bringing them to the international stage. We've taken them out of the pub and put them on a platform where they deserve to be.

Q The music is lively and emotional. After a performance, are you exhausted?

A Absolutely. I'm exhausted right now, and we didn't even perform today! We performed for 2 1/2 hours last night. And it takes a lot out of you, all right. But you see, there's no way you can coast your way through these songs. It's just not possible. They are very emotional, and you let yourself go, you get into it, you open up your heart and let it all out.

Q I read that you're doing a medley of tunes reflecting the music of the counties where each of you was raised. Tell me about that.

A It was just a fun idea that we came up with, to give a little spirit of the songs from the counties where we grew up -- Wexford, Kilkenny and Cork. It's kind of a rousing thing, like a little competition. Back home, when people go to football matches, they chant songs from the various counties. So it's a bit of rivalry and, you know, ruffling of the feathers.

Q I also read that you're doing some patriotic American music on this tour.

A We're doing "America the Beautiful," which is a wonderful song, and I think it's appropriate during these times. We've sung "God Bless America" in the past, and we got a great response from the crowd. The support of the American people, in particular, has been just fantastic. People have requested "America the Beautiful," and we like to give them something that's inspiring. It's a tonic for the crowd.

Q Do you miss Ireland when you're touring?

A Oh, yes. You know what they say -- it's a great little country, if they could only roof it.