Canadian Tenors easy on eyes, ears

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This article was published 11/12/2010 (5783 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

THEY came, they sang, they wore drop-dead suits by Armani.

Sensational vocal quartet The Canadian Tenors brought their own brand of sultry magic to the Centennial Concert Hall stage Friday night as the latest in the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra’s Pops series. The Tenors last appeared with the WSO in 2009 and this weekend’s three shows sold out early. This is always a remarkable feat and a major coup for any symphonic organization.

Founded by Victoria-based composer Jill Ann Siemens, the ensemble originally began life as a trio in 2006. Now consisting of vocalists Victor Micallef, Clifton Murray, Remigio Pereira and Fraser Walters, The Tenors’ meteoric rise to stardom seems to no know bounds, with their appreciative audiences including everyone from Queen Elizabeth to daytime queen, Oprah.

The quartet is currently on a whirlwind 15-city tour to promote their holiday CD The Perfect Gift released last year. The 16-song program showcased many of the songs from that album as well as their debut CD, The Canadian Tenors, released in 2008 that quickly went platinum.

After a quick introduction, WSO resident conductor Richard Lee got the party rolling with Because We Believe. The four singers came on stage to roars from the audience, with each of the vocalists quickly establishing themselves with their own solo.

One early showstopper was Bob Dylan’s Forever Young sung by Murray. After setting up the tune with a touching story of how he sang duets with his father — as well as revealing his Irish Tenor grandfather hailed from Winnipeg — he launched into the perennial classic. Murray’s silken tenor is one you could easily listen to all night. But he also showed off his powerhouse chops during the song’s chorus that earned him prolonged applause.

Another highlight was a funky arrangement of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen that featured the Tenors’ music director Darryn Dasouza on piano as well the CD’s title track The Perfect Gift where we got to hear Micallef’s gorgeous legato lines.

These singers are also polyglots, performing in several different languages including French, Italian, Spanish and Latin. They performed the haunting O Viens Emmanual in French with warmth and sincerity. Panis Angelicus sung in Latin by Pereira as a tribute to this hero, opera superstar Luciano Pavarotti, also gave the capacity crowd a chance to hear his more forceful delivery. Several balance problems with the orchestra detracted from Instrument of Peace.

The program also included Leonard Cohen’s always searing Hallelujah, What Child is This and O Holy Night. The Prayer written by Canadian David Foster, showed the beautifully melded voices of Murray and Walters.

An encore of Silent Night ended the evening on a festive note.

The concept of four, easy-on-the-eyes tenors is, arguably, not exactly a new one. One suspects even a little formulaic machination at work that lures listeners to the concert hall who might never otherwise darken an opera house.

But one thing is clear. It’s a wonderful life if you are a Canadian Tenor. The enthusiastic audience certainly agreed.

The show will be performed again Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Centennial Concert Hall.

holly.harris@shaw.ca

The Canadian Tenors

Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra

Pops

Centennial Concert Hall

Friday, December 10

Attendance: 2,305

(four stars out of five)