We found Anthony to be quite animated and candid in his answers, speaking about the lack of funding available in his family for his musical education, and the generosity of others who helped him along the way. And he discusses the music fund and how he is happy to help others as he was, indeed, helped.
I believe you will enjoy this interview!
I will use the following designations for speakers:
A=Anthony Kearns
K=Karen Hanan, the interviewer
L=Lynnette Crouse
K. Hello and thanks for joining me. Well as always we have a busy hour lined up for you, but first of all we will be welcoming a legendary name in the world of classical music. This is Irish Tenor, Anthony Kearns, who is joining us all the way from Ireland, and in little more than a week he will be here in Port Angeles, in concert, on the Port Angeles High School auditorium stage. That’s Monday, September the 29th, and your chance to get to see truly a legend in the world of music. Anthony, thanks for taking the time to join us today.
A. You’re very welcome, Karen, it’s a pleasure.
K. Now I mentioned that you’re calling all the way from Ireland, so obviously you’re part of the Irish Tenors, you’re Irish, where exactly are you in Ireland at this point?
A. At this point in time, I’m in Dublin, the Capitol City!
K. Tell us a little about yourself, Anthony, I mean how you got going in music to start with as you were growing up in Ireland.
A. Well, I come from a musical family. But it was traditional Irish music mainly that was the influence in my career. I started out by playing traditional instruments like button accordion and I’d sing in competitions as well. So I took it from there to school. At school I got involved in the school orchestra and I was singing with the orchestra. And one thing led to another and singing outside of school in extra curricular events. And, so that’s how it came about really, and I’ve been involved in music ALL through my life. And I took it to a kind of serious level in 1993 I entered a competition that brought me to the attention of a singing teacher, namely Veronica Dunne.
K. And it was Veronica Dunne that you credit for sort of bringing you to where you are today, or at least setting you on that road?
A. Absolutely! She certainly set me on the right track. I was with her for a number of years and then I moved over to Wales for a couple of years, and I’ve been singing ever since!
K. Now people, I think, are going to be interested in hearing how you went from growing up and being sort of discovered a little bit in Ireland to becoming part of the Irish Tenors.
A. I think that anyone that knows The Irish Tenors music would know the story of the Irish Tenors getting together. It was a project of PBS Network Television. And it was brought about by two companies who got together and basically wracked their brains and came up with this idea of The Irish Tenors. And they held auditions and of course I came over from Wales and I sang for them, and they said, “Welcome Aboard!” They already had like the two others, and so that’s how it came about.
K. And tell us about the people that you were then going to be singing with. I mean, were they people you were familiar with?
A. Yes, well I knew one of them, Ronan Tynan. Ronan used to, believe it or not, go to Veronica Dunne, as well, for singing lessons. So it’s a small world, the music world in Dublin! So he was one that was on board. The other at the time was John McDermott, who has since been replaced by Finbar Wright. So now you have a line up of All Irish singers, All Irish tenors, All studied under the one singing teacher.
K. Now I assume that part of the inspiration for getting going as The Irish Tenors was the fame and the success of The Three Tenors.
A. No question about it, the recipe worked, and I think that’s what the guys saw in PBS. You know, they saw the success of the Three Big Guys. We won’t necessarily call them Italian, because they’re all of different backgrounds and origins, so ah, we call them The Three Big Guys. (laugh)
K. I take it by that that they’re bigger than you!
A. Ah, well, in every sense of the word! (laugh)
K. (soft laugh) So, having said that, the comparisons sort of really stop there, though. I mean of course you’re all tenors, but the kind of music, the kind of repertoire that The Irish Tenors focuses on is a little different.
A. It is, indeed. It’s mainly the Irish repertoire, and we have a wealth of repertoire to choose from going back for hundreds of years. That said, it looks like we’ve a good future, a good length of stay in The Irish Tenors, because we’ll never get through it all. There is some wonderful repertoire which, you know, looks over the country’s history and its background and the hardships and the suffering it has endured from emigration, to famine, to various events that have occurred in history up to the modern day with wars and what not.
K. Anthony, when The Irish Tenors began touring, was it kind of instant success?
A. It was. We got together and our first show was in Dublin in ’98. And then once it was exposed on PBS, it just catapulted to another level. I mean, we went from playing Dublin National Concert Hall to Madison Square Garden and places like that. So it was just, it was a bit of a shock to the system playing in front of maybe 2 or 3 thousand to 17,000 in Madison Square Garden in New York.
K. Now earlier on you mentioned how important your school music career was and the early teachers you had. I think we can say the same here in Port Angeles, where the high school music programs, in fact the whole system, the whole school system, has tremendously good music programs that we think hopefully can produce musicians of caliber. But how important do you see those school programs as being to the future of music?
A. Oh, it’s very, very important. I mean, at the time, I mean that was my outlet. I was passionate about music and I had an opportunity to play in the school orchestra. My family couldn’t afford the tuition, to be fair, and the school kindly gave me a trombone to play for free. And lessons were taken care of outside of the school from sponsorships. So I mean, I never forgot that. And in actual fact we set up a music fund, the Bunclody Music Fund, and its … we’ve opened it up not only to the school, but to vocal music, as well. For people that want to sing. If we can help just one person, then we’ve done something good. You know, if we can give back to somebody and give them the opportunity, because that’s all that was needed for me, was for someone to give me a chance.
K. I’d like to bring in Lynnette Crouse now, who is the organizer of your concert here in Port Angeles on the 29th of this month. First of all, how do you know Lynnette, because there is a personal contact.
A. There is indeed. Lynnette and her good friend, Lynn, do a fantastic job on the website. The girls are endlessly working hard to get the name of Anthony Kearns, I suppose, out there. Any info that they can gather, they expose it on a wonderful website. And I’m very fortunate to have the ladies in full support behind me.
K. Let’s bring Lynnette in at this point. Lynnette, most of the time you work at Roosevelt School, you also have this wonderful side job of doing a website for Anthony Kearns. But Anthony being, you know, a singer of stature, it must have surprised you when he said, “Yes, I’ll come and play and sing in Port Angeles.”
L. First of all, Hello, Anthony!
A. Hello, Lynnette! (laugh)
M. (soft laugh) Nice to talk with you.
A. You, too.
L. I was shocked, pleased, surprised, and I immediately stared working, and we’re going to have a sell out show for you, Anthony!
A. That’s fantastic news, and I’m not surprised knowing the people that are behind it.
L. (soft laugh)
K. Now, Lynnette, talk a little bit about the fund raising part of this, because that is sort of the bottom line here. This is world class music, but there is also a world class reason for doing it.
L. Well, our orchestra director is a wonderful director, and he has secured an invitation for our kids to perform in Carnegie Hall, which will be a very, very expensive trip. And Anthony, being a man who performs in Carnegie Hall often, I thought would be a wonderful meld, to get this man here to help our kids also realize their dream to perform there.
K. Anthony, let me bring you back in again.
A. Sure
K. You’re performing here solo, well with a pianist, of course. But how different is that from a Three Tenors Concert? Excuse me, The Irish Tenors concert.
A. Nicely Put! (laugh)
K. Let’s not mix you up! (laugh)
A. I know, yeah but sure, we’re used to it now (laugh). I tell you, well, apart from the obvious differences being with The Irish Tenors we have the luxury of a 45 piece orchestra, you’ve all the lighting and the sound, and just everything’s on a large scale. Wonderful arrangements, rich and lush arrangements, so we’re fortunate in that respect. And that costs a lot of money. That’s why I can explain to people when they go to a Tenors concert that the ticket prices, you know, can be on the high side in some cases. But, my solo concerts are just myself and my accompanist, Patrick Healy, who’s been with me for at least ten years, now. And we work very well together. We have a nice, intimate little setting, and I like that. I like the balance, you know, of the two. Having come from the stage with The Tenors, just to come to a theater on our own and perform what we like to do. With The Tenors, you’re kind of confined to the Irish music. On my own I can throw in operatic arias, Neapolitan songs, some Mario Lanza, you know, a wide range of repertoire, which is fun.
K. I had the idea from Lynnette that you don’t necessarily publish your program well before you come to do a show. That you kind of feel the audience out and make it up as you go along?
A. Well, we bring a lot of music with us, and we have a fair idea of what we’re going to perform. But just in case, you know, you need to change something, for two reasons. One, is to know your audience. And for the other, for your own safety net; if you’re not up to form and something goes wrong and you need to make a quick change, you can, without anyone saying, “Oh, he didn’t sing ‘Danny Boy.’” (laugh)
K. (soft laugh) Anthony, are there any songs that you always do?
A. Yes, there are some. I mean, there’s one I just mentioned, “Danny Boy” is always performed. I think a show’s not complete without it; it’s our stamp, like, of approval, so to speak. Everyone expects it in the Irish repertoire, so “Danny Boy” is normally in every program.
K. You know, Anthony, having performed all over the world now, do you see or feel a difference in audiences in Ireland and Europe compared to America, for example?
A. I would, I suppose. The audiences in Ireland, a lot of them have grown up with the music. They could find the same kind of music, maybe not on the same level, but certainly they’d find it in the pubs and the bars and smaller venues round the country. So they’re quite used to it. And there’s plenty of people performing the Irish repertoire in Ireland. So it’s nice on the level that we’re performing it in the States. As I say with orchestra or even, indeed, solo with piano. But, just to bring different songs. I know most people are familiar with the “Danny Boys” and “Irish Eyes are Smiling,” and that kind of repertoire. But I like to bring unusual repertoire, as well, you know older songs, and you know. So it’s a great opportunity to bring songs that they mightn’t have heard.
K. Anthony, we do have to take a break, but before we do that, I want to ask Lynnette to introduce one of your songs so we can play a little bit of your music. But before you introduce the song, Lynnette, just give out the ticket information. And you did say we’re going to have a sell out crowd, so if people want tickets they should move very fast.
L. They should, I just checked with one of the ticket outlets and I think we’ve got like three rows left in one of them of reserved seating. We need to sell the tickets at Port Book and News in Port Angeles, Pacific Mist Books in Sequim, and you may call 457-9770 and I will procure the tickets for you and mail them to you.
K. Now go ahead and tell us about this piece we’re going to hear from Anthony.
L. Alright, I believe this piece is “Eileen Og,” which is kind of a standard, isn’t it, Anthony?
A. It is, indeed. (laugh)
M. Yes, it’s delightful.
K. Do you have anything else to add to that, Anthony, about “Eileen Og?”
A. “Eileen Og,” I suppose I’ve been singing it since I started, it was on the first recording with The Irish Tenors. And, uh, a couple of ladies that follow us around the country to the concerts, they think it’s theirs!
“Eileen Og”
K. The voice of Anthony Kearns, and he, of course, will be right here in concert on Monday, September the 29th, at the high school auditorium. And if you want tickets, go get them quickly at Port Book and News or Pacific Mist Books. Just a few rows left. We have a couple of pairs of general admission tickets to give away here, and the first two callers you can get a pair each. So give us a call at 457-1800 or 457-1450 for a pair of tickets to the Anthony Kearns Concert. And we need to take a short break, but we’ll be right back.
BREAK
K. Thanks for staying with me. For those just joining us, Anthony Kearns is on the phone all the way from Ireland and he is one of The Irish Tenors and will be here in solo concert on Monday September 29th, 7:30 PM, up at the high school auditorium. This is a rare chance to see somebody of Anthony’s stature. Anthony, tell us a little bit about some of the fans who, I believe, go from concert to concert following after you.
A. And from country to country, might I add. Believe it or not, I have a concert tomorrow night in Dublin in the National Concert Hall, it’s a Gilbert and Sullivan Evening, with Patrick Healy, and friends. And there’s a few of the fans over here already, I’ve bumped into them.
K. Wow, so that must make you, does that make you feel good? I’m sure it does.
A. Ah, it does. I mean, it’s great to see that they enjoy the music. I often wonder sometimes, what did they do beforehand? But, (laugh)…But it’s great to see them here and enjoying it. Some of them have traveled as far away as Italy and Ireland. But in the States they’re a great bunch. They come around whenever they can afford it and can, and are a great support. They enjoy the music and they have found new friends in among the group. And you know, its all good, all positive.
K. Now the concert you’re doing for us in Port Angeles is part of a tour which will take you where?
A. Well, it’ll take us from Hartford, to Port Angeles, all the way up to, believe it or not, Saskatchewan! Way up, upper part of Canada.
K. This is either a well-planned tour, or someone has a lot of pull!
A. (laugh) Well, I think its the guy that’s booking us above in Canada has three dates. So that’s kind of, that’s the reason we’re going so far. You know, if it was one date, it would be difficult enough to get up and down, but with three dates, that makes it worth the journey, you know. We’ll stay there for a few days.
K. And certainly I think it’s going to be worth it in Port Angeles. There is great excitement because, you know, it’s a small town and Carnegie Hall and places like that do see their fair share of people like you, and we don’t often see someone like you coming here. So I think the community owes you a word of thanks, and also, of course, thanks to Lynnette Crouse who put this all together.
A. Absolutely, it’s a credit to Lynnette and all those involved putting it together and having the courage to get out and do it and put in the ground work. There’s a lot of hard work involved in organizing a concert. The easy part is for us to travel over and perform. The organizing is the difficult part.
K. Let’s bring Lynnette back in at this point because we are going to be doing a drawing here on the air on ArtBeat. Lynnette, tell us what this drawing’s all about.
L. These were raffle tickets that the students sold. They played string quartets around town selling raffle tickets. It’s going to be dinner for four pre-concert, four front row seats for Anthony’s concert, and a signed CD.
K. Okay, now Anthony, we’d love for you to draw this ticket, but we can’t quite work out the logistics of you being in Ireland and us being in Port Angeles.
A. (laugh)
K. That being the case, we’re going to see whether Lynnette can sort of drum roll a ticket out for us and see who the lucky winner is. And she has pulled a winner. So here we go for dinner for four and four front row seats for the Anthony Kearns Concert.
L. Alright, it’s Peggy Smith in Sequim, Washington!
K. Okay, so Peggy Smith in Sequim, Washington is the lucky winner. That’s great news. Anthony, before we let you go, any final thoughts about coming to Port Angeles and performing here?
A. Yeah, that everyone have a good time. I welcome all to come along, anyone that can come along for the evening. Hopefully it’ll go well, and maybe we’ll be back again, if all goes well. Bottom line, it’s entertainment. We’re going to have fun. Those that make it will enjoy the show. Patrick Healy is a barrel of laughs, a very talented guy. They’ll enjoy the music. The bulk of will be Irish, but there’s a mixed bag of music covering Neapolitan songs, Mario Lanza repertoire, the operatic repertoire. So it’s going to be fun, a lot of character songs in there, as well. So, overall, it’ll be a fun time.
K. Okay, and Lynnette, let’s hear a little bit from you, also, final thoughts.
L. Well, we’re well on the way to filling twelve hundred seats for Anthony, and “Back by Popular Demand” sounds really good about now!
A. (laugh) That’s fantastic!
K. Okay, we might make you an annual fare, Anthony.
A. That’s fantastic, it’s great, it’s a credit to you all.
L. Ah, thanks!
K. We’re going to close with a piece actually that’s with The Irish Tenors, but it does feature you. And this is called “She Moved Through the Fair.” And I’d like you to tell us a little bit about this wonderful, very old song.
A. Well, believe it or not, one would think it’s an Irish song, but in fact it’s an English song. And it’s a love song, and it’s a slow air, one of the songs that I first sang in competition as a young man in Irish competitions in the Sean Nos style. “She Moved Through the Fair,” a beautiful love song.
K. Anthony, I’d like to thank you for joining us too, and we certainly look forward to having you here in Port Angeles. But thanks so much for your time today.
A. Not at all, Karen, and thanks for having me.
K. And this is Anthony Kearns….
L. Goodbye, Anthony.
A. And Lynnette!
L. (laugh)Thank you.
A. We shall see you very soon.
L. Yes, can’t wait.
A. God Bless.
L. Bye
“She Moved Through the Fair”