Making it look easy

Anthony Kearns’s concert in Needham, Mass. on Oct. 13 was a lesson in vocal technique, versatility and control.

From Broadway standards to taxing opera arias and traditional Irish tunes, the tenor and his accompanist, the venerable Patrick Healy, entertained a crowd of more than 400 fans who were on hand for a night of music to raise money for St. Joseph’s Parish Schools.

In a recent interview, Anthony talked acknowledged that singing a concert — with its frequent switching between languages and song styles — can be difficult. “Singing is not easy,” he said. That may be the case, but it certainly didn’t look that way in Needham. The tenor’s control over his voice is as good as it gets.

This concert also featured a few songs that this reviewer has never heard Anthony sing before (at least not in person), including “Vainement, ma bien aimee” from Lalo’s Le Roi d’Ys, Hahn’s “A Chloris,” and “You’re Just in Love,” a duet from Call Me Madam, pieces that fit well with his program of concert standards. 

He also sang “Phil the Fluther’s Ball,” which he originally recorded with The Irish Tenors (on Live from Belfast,) which, with its quick patter and breath-challenging jumps, was a fun highlight of the evening. (Although its fast pace doesn’t compare to the breakneck speed of the Irish ditty song “Kitty Me Love” — another favorite.)

On a personal note, I’m partial to the Schubert “Standchen,” because it was a lied that my father, a semi-professional singer, had in his repertoire. I have memories of sitting on the stairs outside the room listening to him practice it — over and over! Needless to say, Anthony’s version is exquisite.

It’s always nice to hear Anthony explore the dynamics of a song, such as in “Ave Maria,” when he moves from fortissimo to pianissimo with ease and with no obvious break in his voice. It’s something that many singers can’t do and it is a demonstration of his training and well-developed passaggio.

“How Are Things in Glocca Morra,” from Finian’s Rainbow, was another highlight, a true Broadway ballad with a wide range that truly lets the tenor’s voice shine. Its interlude for the pianist is also lush and expressive.

And “the man behind the pianer,” as Anthony called him, was a fine partner for the evening. During Anthony’s breaks, Patrick regaled the audience with some funny tales and a few songs of his own — “We Kiss in a Shadow” from The King and I and the Major General’s song from The Pirates of Penzance. 

Throughout the evening, it was obvious how much fun Anthony and Patrick were having — both in performing and in working together. Patrick had his younger colleague laughing at numerous times (including when he played the introduction to one song in an incorrect, much too high, key), and once again it was clear how much the two admire and appreciate each other.

It’s thought that the male singing voice reaches its peak in its mid-40s, which means, at just 41, Anthony isn’t even there yet. It’s hard to believe that his voice could get any better than it is now, but given his dedication, it’s a foregone conclusion. 

Thought for a Thursday

Well said.

‘You’ve got to get the right start’

Note: I haven't updated this blog in... far too long. But what better way to reintroduce it than by sharing an article I wrote about Anthony Kearns's upcoming concert in Needham, Mass.?

Tenor Anthony Kearns to sing benefit concert for
St. Joseph’s Parish Schools

By Melissa A. Lynch

“Never has education been more important than it is now,” tenor Anthony Kearns says. 

Kearns, a founding member of The Irish Tenors, will perform a benefit concert for St. Joseph Parish Schools on Saturday, Oct. 13 at 7 p.m. in St. Joseph Church.

St. Joseph’s has been educating students since 1954, when the Sisters of Charity began teaching at the elementary school. The Monsignor James J. Haddad Middle School opened in 1996 and expanded the parish’s reach, bringing with it a mission of encouraging students “to think for themselves, not just for today, but for a lifetime as they develop an awareness of their place in society.”

Both schools share the charge of educating the whole student: mind, body and spirit.

The money raised by the concert will be used to support the general operating budget of the schools, according to Liz O’Connell, the concert’s organizer.

O’Connell says the parish is excited to have Kearns sing in the upper church, where they have a new Yamaha baby grand piano. 

Tickets for the concert ($35), as well as for a meet-and-greet event with Kearns ($50, including the concert), are available at the St. Joseph’s rectory and online at www.saintjoes.com.

Kearns, recognized in 2010 by the Irish Music Association as the best Irish Tenor in the U.S., U.K., and the European Union, has a number of operatic roles to his credit, along with his 13-year, ongoing association with The Irish Tenors. He sang the title role of Faust, Don Jose in Carmen and Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, all in Ireland; and, in the U.S., Romeo in Romeo & Juliet: Then and Now, Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor, and Faust, all for Opera Naples in Florida, and Alfred in Die Fledermaus in Colorado.

Earlier this year, he sang at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library at a celebration of the Kennedy family’s roots in Ireland (Enjoy that concert in its entirety here). “I’ve never heard a better Irish Tenor voice,” the late president’s sister, Jean Kennedy Smith, had previously remarked upon hearing Kearns sing a tribute to her brother at an event in Ireland. 

The Nashville Scene called Kearns “a superb singer, possessing a lyrical, virile, disciplined voice; he is a confident, compelling performer.” And critic Peter Landsdowne wrote, “He may well become the Tenor of our Times.”

The St. Joseph’s concert is one of several benefits scheduled during Kearns’s fall tour of the United States. He says he enjoys being able to give back to the community like this. “If we can help on our way, we will. We’ve all been helped in some shape or form along our path in life.” 

Kearns, who hails from a small village in County Wexford, Ireland, knows the value of education. 

“There’s no guarantee in the world we live in today of work at any level, and that’s the scary thing,” he says, “with the current climate and the way the world has gone, and the economies.”

Historically, Irish Catholics had to fight for their own educations, so they understand its importance. “Catholics were held down [in Ireland], and they had to practice their faith privately,” Kearns explains. Catholic children were not allowed to attend regular schools.

“Kids were educated in what was known as hedge schools – literally, that was what it was, a hedge somewhere in a field that the kids sat under while the teacher taught them,” Kearns says. “So education is very important in Ireland, and people never forgot it. The Irish have done very well around the globe; their education system is very, very good. People get a good standard of education from a very early age — they’re exposed to music and languages and everything else; these are the tools that will carry them through life.”

“You’ve got to get the right start,” he adds. “If you don’t have the right foundation, you can’t build the house.” 

For more information, visit anthonykearns.net.