The Celtic Tenors gear up for NYC after global tour


The Celtic Tenors have been barnstorming across the globe, having just completed a triumphant tour of Australia and New Zealand.

“It’s been amazing and you feel like you’re ambassadors of Ireland,” remarks tenor James Nelson on the morning before a sold out gig in Alberta, Canada.

“We played China and many of the audience members knew almost nothing about Ireland; in fact, some remarked that they thought the Irish people spoke Spanish! So, it’s great to bring our culture into new places. We get a huge rush from that.”

The Celtic Tenors will be bringing their St. Patrick’s themed performance to Lehman Center for the Performing Arts in the Bronx on Saturday, March 16 before ringing in the day at Westhampton Beach PAC in Long Island on the 17th.

Expect Irish tunes sung with booming operatic voices without the cheese, thank you very much.

“We try our best to put on a show that celebrates our Irish culture without falling into some of the tired stereotypes,” Nelson says.

“Some of the Irish parlor songs are fun to do, but we sidestep the requests for things like ‘Who Threw the Overalls in Mrs. Murphy’s Chowder’ all the same! You don’t want to be snobby about it, but there has to be a certain amount of artistic integrity that we as a group must hold onto. We are classically trained and seek material that both entertains the audience and challenges us as artists.”

Their show is an engaging melange of classical music, orchestral pop, and of course, the Irish standards. On their 2002 debut album, So Strong, you found Paul McCartney’s “Mull of Kintyre” sitting next to the traditional church fare of “Ave Maria” and Phil Coulter’s “The Town I Loved So Well.”

Eleven years later, it would seem that little has changed on their newest album, Feels Like Home. Simply put, if you can’t find something to celebrate in their albums and live shows, you probably don’t like music.

Their shows are unforgettable and special in ways that leaves this writer at a loss for words. Visit www.celtictenors.com for samples of their CDs and other tour dates.

Watch the video here for The Celtic Tenors' 'Feels Like Home':