Inspired by a combination of the times we live in and a new-found penchant for great American songs, The Celtic Tenors bring their ‘Hard Times’ tour to Athlone’s Dean Crowe Theatre this October.
One third of the trio, Matthew Gilsenan, explains that the group relish this chance to return to their roots.
“It is important for us to come back home and get back to our roots. Touring Ireland is really important to us, and as times are hard we make sure tickets for our shows are affordable. Although our latest album is a very American album, in our concerts we still do versions of songs like ‘Nessun Dorma’, big tenor numbers. There are songs in Irish, lively songs like ‘I’ll Tell Me Ma’ and ‘Poc ar Buile’. It’s a high energy show,” he says.
With American producer Steve Lindsey [who has worked with the likes of Leonard Cohen and Aaron Neville] on board, the group recently completed their fifth album, also named Hard Times, due for release in Ireland in January.
“Up to now our albums were a bit of a mix of Irish, classical, and pop. Steve said that’s not really what bands do, and that each album should have a different theme and be less like a variety concert,” explains Matthew.
“At the time we had been in America for ages and we realised American pieces had started to creep into our set. They are songs that might as well be Irish, such as ‘Shenandoah’, a sea shanty with an Irish feeling. So this is an album of great North American songs such as the Stephen Foster song ‘Hard Times Come Again No More’.
“We do songs from Kris Kristofferson, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, and Randy Newman. It is our first stab at a one-themed album, and there are no strings in sight, so when we are not on tour with a symphony orchestra we can still do the songs in our shows.”
With total album sales worldwide of over one million, The Celtic Tenors have topped the charts in the USA, Canada, Germany, the UK and Ireland.
Priding themselves on “breaking the stuffy tenor mould”, the unique voices, charm and wit of Daryl, James and Matthew - combined with talented young musical director Colm Henry - offer audiences a thoroughly uplifting experience.
While each has been influenced by the musical traditions of their own individual parts of Ireland, Daryl, James and Matthew combine to suit classical, folk, Irish, and pop genres. The Echo Award in Germany for Classical without Boundaries was presented to The Celtic Tenors in recognition of this fact.
Equally at home performing to large festival crowds or intimate concert halls and theatres, and whether backed by a live band, symphony orchestra, solo piano, or even a capella, their voices and personalities always shine through alongside their undeniable Celtic charm.
Now entering their 10th year as a group, the tenors are now looking forward to the chance to once again perform in front of a home crowd.
“It’s been a great year for us,” says Matthew. “Last year we had hundreds of dates; it was really exhausting, and we were away from home from January 25 until May 3. Now we are a bit more settled. It’s been an eventful and dramatic few years.
“We feel more like a band really. When you say tenors, it sounds like we just stand around in suits, but we all play different instruments during the shows and have a bit of fun.”
The Celtic Tenors ‘Hard Times’ tour will be playing in The Dean Crowe Theatre, Athlone on Saturday October 10 at 8pm. Tickets at just €25 are available from the box office at www.deancrowetheatre.com or (090 ) 6492129.
