Sunday Independent
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30th November 2008

WHEN Angela Desmond from Cork took her weekly sing-ing lesson after a priest, she could never have known that, one day, he would become her Mr Right -- or, indeed, her Mr Wright!

Angela is married to tenor Finbar Wright, from Kinsale, who is known as one of Ireland's greatest romantic singers. Finbar began playing piano at the age of six, and his singing career began a few years later when he entered the Cork School of Music, where Dr Declan Townsend announced that he had "gold in his throat".

After school, Finbar decided to become a priest, and went to study philosophy and history at the University of Valencia, Spain. He then took an honours theology degree from Maynooth University, and was ordained at 22. He was so young that it required a special dispensation from the Pope.

Angela went to do a degree in English and music, and was studying singing with Robert Beare. Meanwhile, Finbar was teaching Spanish and Latin in Clonferris College, while studying music, voice training and piano.

"Finbar had the singing lesson before me, but Robert would always keep him a bit into mine, which used to drive me mad," she laughs. "I'd be thinking, 'It's my turn now!' He had a gorgeous voice, though, and would be singing all of these lovely songs. I wouldn't have thought of Finbar romantically at the beginning, because he was a priest when I first met him, and also because there is a bit of an age gap between us."

Finbar recalls being taken with the beautiful young girl sitting there at the end of his lesson, but, under the circumstances, their interaction was all very innocent. After a few years, Angela got glandular fever, and gave up singing for a year, and in the meantime, Finbar came to the difficult decision to leave the priesthood after seven years.

"My vocation was born of a genuine belief that I could make a difference to society and a love of all aspects of church life, including the music," he says. "But then, the fire went out, and also I found it an extremely lonely existence."

Finbar's singing career had taken off by then, as he had won the Feis Ceoil and appeared on The Late Late Show. Coincidentally, in a week where The Priests are currently number one with their album, one of the funny stories around Finbar in 1987 concerns the music promoter Maurice Cassidy, who contacted him with great plans to launch him as the singing priest.

"Maurice came down to Cork, and the first thing I said to him was that I had left the priesthood. He was devastated, because his big marketing plan went out the window," laughs Finbar.

On the romantic front, fate intervened in the shape of Angela and Finbar's singing teacher Robert, who played matchmaker, suggesting to Angela that as "poor old Finbar" was now living with his sister near her, she should make contact with him.

"There was no way!" she laughs. "Then, supposedly, Finbar needed scores for Mozart's opera, La Clemenza di Tito, and wanted access to the UCC library. Robert had given him my number, as I was a student there, so I went in with him. It wasn't until years later that I realised that it was a trick."

Finbar invited Angela out to dinner to say thanks, but she said no. He rang her again, and this time, she accepted.

"The rest, as they say, is history," she says. "I honestly had no more notion of settling down, as I was only 19 at the time. We were married in Rome when I was 21, and I can honestly say it was the best decision I've ever made. Finbar is very patient and easygoing, and he always makes me laugh. He's very humorous and funny, and a real family man."

Angela worked in music for a while, and then did a master's degree in marketing, followed by a PhD. She now lectures on the masters programme in marketing at Cork Institute of Technology.

"Finbar calls me Dr. when he's mocking me," she says, "but he was so encouraging for me to go into further education. I couldn't have done it without him."

The Wrights now have two children, Fergus, 16, and Ileana, 14, and they're based in west Cork with their menagerie of animals. Life, they say, is both relaxed and hectic, because as well as Finbar's flourishing solo career, he performs with the Irish Tenors all over the world.

"There's never a dull moment," says Angela. " We're all animal lovers, and we have horses, dogs, cats, hens and ducks -- it's Animal Farm gone wrong!"

"The kids are mad into entering competitions, and any spare time and money goes into their two horses," says Finbar. "We almost work for them. It's a full day's work for everyone, between grooming and preparing them and driving to the competitions. It's great though, because it really bonds the family."

Aside from this, Angela and Finbar like to do a lot of walking and hiking, and they enjoy spending time in Kerry. Another shared passion is restoring antiques, and indeed Angela has done a course in French polishing.

Finbar has just released a gorgeous new album of romantic songs, entitled, When I Need Love, and it's clear that in his own life, the flames of love are still burning brightly.

"There's a spark of madness in Angela," he smiles, "and she's so vivacious and gregarious and has huge life in her. It's great for me in one sense, as I sometimes have to rest my voice. When we go out, she does all the talking and I can't get a word in anyway. We sometimes operate on twin tracks, as her life is very concentrated and organised from an academic point of view, whereas mine is all over the place. The one thing I know however, is that I could never have had the career or the life I have without her."

Finbar Wright's new album, When I Need Love, is out now. For tour dates, see www. finbarwright.com

-Andrea Smith