The Irish Tenors perform classic holiday favorites and traditional songs from the Emerald Isle.
By Megan Sullivan
THREE is a magic number. After the successful collaboration of Placido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti and Jose Carreras, beginning in 1990, it’s no surprise other producers followed suit with various incarnations of The Three Tenors.
In 1998, artists Anthony Kearns, John McDermott and Ronan Tynan joined voices as The Irish Tenors for a performance at the Royal Dublin Society, backed by a 60-piece orchestra. Not long afterward, a recording of the concert was broadcast in the United States on PBS, which garnered the trio mass appeal. “That’s what really kick-started everything,” says Mr. Kearns during a phone interview, before rehearsals for a Milwaukee tour stop.
The Irish Tenors have produced eight CDs to date, selling millions of copies, and have completed several successful tours of the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The trio has also made appearances on The Today Show, Good Morning America, Live with Regis and Kelly and 20/20, among other popular television programs. The State Theatre in New Brunswick will present The Irish Tenors Christmas Show Dec. 9.
The well-received concert will include performances of holiday favorites and religious hymns, including “We Three Kings,” “O Holy Night,” “White Christmas,” “Joy to the World,” “Ave Maria,” “Silent Night,” “Winter Wonderland” and “First Noel.” Of course, the trio stays true to its roots by interspersing Irish standards and traditional songs throughout the evening, a full orchestra accompanying their lush, brogue-tinged harmonies.
”Imagine the richness of it,” Mr. Kearns says. “No other music lends itself (better) to that than Christmas music. All the instruments that are put away during the year, all the bells and whistles, come out at Christmas time. It adds a special sound.”
The trio has undergone some personnel changes since its beginnings, with Finbar Wright and Karl Scully now collaborating with Mr. Kearns. Mr. Wright, who has twice received the award for “Ireland’s Best Male Performer,” joined the lineup in 2000 after Mr. McDermott left following the death of his mother. Mr. McDermott rejoined the group in 2004 when Mr. Tynan departed to focus on his solo career, but he too decided to concentrate on solo engagements a couple of years later. Mr. Scully, who has made numerous solo performances in some of the world’s most famous opera houses, is the newest member of the Irish Tenors.
Original member Mr. Kearns grew up in Kiltealy, a small village in County Wexford, Ireland, situated at the foot of the Blackstair Mountains. As a child, he sang “just for fun” and played the accordion for a number of years. While none of his family members pursued a musical career, all enjoyed playing traditional Irish instruments, like the banjo, flute and whistles, as hobbies. While attending the Faithful Companions of Jesus Bunclody Secondary School, Anthony played trombone and sang in the orchestra.
”Singing with the band in front of people… it was very beneficial to me,” Mr. Kearns says. “It was a great opportunity to have as a youngster.”
During his school years, Anthony also sang in various all-Ireland singing festivals and vocal competitions, winning on a regular basis. Although he went on to study catering and hotel management, which led to four years of employment at the Grand Hotel, Wicklow, he still pursued music. Mr. Kearns sang at weddings and other functions at the hotel and around the area, became involved with the Wicklow Musical Society and competed at local pubs.
”Those are the wild days,” he says, laughing. “I performed at sporting events, weddings, funerals… all part of the development of skills and talents.”
As an adult, Mr. Kearns continued entering and winning singing competitions all over Ireland, including the prestigious Dermot Troy Trophy for oratorio in 1995 and 1996 and the Best Male Singer at the 1995 Waterford International Festival of Light Opera. Other achievements include performances at the culmination of the 1996 All-Ireland Hurling Championship and the Football Association of Ireland finals, competing on Ireland’s Late Late Show and repeated triumphs at the Dublin Feis Ceoil, Europe’s longest-running classical music festival. He also reached the top at the ESB Veronica Dunne International Singing Competition in 1999.
Mr. Kearns first got involved with Ireland’s renowned voice teacher Ms. Dunne after winning a radio contest, “Ireland’s Search for a Tenor,” in 1993. He sang “Danny Boy” over the phone, hitchhiked to Dublin for the finals and won the competition singing “The Impossible Dream” and “Danny Boy” as an encore. Ms. Dunne, one of the judges of the competition, began training Mr. Kearns at the Leinster School of Music. He also worked with vocal coach Patrick Healy for several years and later studied at The College of Music in Wales before joining the Irish Tenors in 1998. “I took singing lessons and one thing led to another,” Mr. Kearns says. “Doors started to open.”
While The Irish Tenors often dig into their repertoire for songs that go back hundreds of years and have withstood the test of time, the group also reinterprets contemporary tunes. “We tend to do songs by Thomas Moore and Percy French,” Mr. Kearns says, “but we also do contemporary songs and we refresh them and put our own stamp on them.”
They’ve performed everything from Titanic’s “My Heart Will Go On” and Andrew Lloyd Weber’s “Amigos Para Siempre” to Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “You’ll Never Walk Alone” from Carousel and Jimmy Kennedy’s “South of the Border (Down Mexico Way).”
In addition to sharing interpretations of pre-existing songs, there are a few numbers that have been written especially for the trio like “Isle of Hope, Isle of Tears.” One of the Irish Tenors’ most popular songs, it addresses the struggles of Irish immigrants coming through Ellis Island. Written by Brendan Graham, it shares the story of the first person who arrived at Ellis Island in 1892 — 15-year-old Annie Moore from County Cork, Ireland, with her younger brothers.
”It’s very poignant,” Mr. Kearns says. “The young child was frightened, having just gotten off the ship from Ireland. It’s been a huge hit for us.”
The three musicians have their own unique vocal style and personality that shines through during solo performances, but Mr. Kearns believes “it’s the collective trio that makes the magic.”
As if the brogues and gorgeous vocals weren’t enough to make the women swoon, the musicians top it all off by sporting formal tuxedoes with tails. “It’s a funny thing,” Mr. Kearns says. “You could be tired from traveling and jet lag, but as soon as you start to focus and go into the dressing room and do scales (to warm up), when you put on tails you feel like you’re ready.”
The Irish Tenors Christmas Show will be performed at the State Theatre, 15 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick, Dec. 9, 7 p.m. Tickets cost $40-$65. (732) 246-7469; www.statetheatrenj.org. The Irish Tenors on the Web: www.theirishtenors.info

