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Our Review

We Three Kings is a classical tour de force: one part traditional holiday fare, one part stirring patriotic marches, one part glorious religious hymns, and all parts excellent tenor talent. The Irish Tenors (Anthony Kearns, Ronan Tynan, and Finbar Wright) nicely combine two relatively recent trends in popularity--tenor "superstar" groups (such as "The 3 Tenors" Jose Carreras, Placido Domingo, and Luciano Pavarotti) and Irish/Celtic music. It's a winning combination.

The attempt to blend three powerful talents can spell disaster if any one artist's voice overwhelms the others. No need to worry here; these three tenors blend their marvelous voices seamlessly. Out of 17 cuts on the CD, six present solo performances; the rest showcase either two or all three tenors. When the three sing in unison, you can scarcely tell that more than one is singing. When the three sing harmonies, the powerful result can almost move you to tears. The musical accompaniment by the Czech National Chamber Orchestra is perfectly supportive and appropriately balanced.

The Irish Tenors demonstrate consistent professionalism coupled with a stimulating energy throughout the CD. These men clearly love what they do. The Christmas music reflects this passion and excitement; familiar tunes such as We Three Kings and I'll Be Home for Christmas take on a whole new dimension in the tenors' hands. Even well-known sacred pieces such as How Great Thou Art (my grandfather's all-time favorite hymn) and The Lord's Prayer seem fresh and vibrant here.

Ironically, these three vocalists from Ireland contribute stirring patriotic U.S. anthems such as Battle Hymn of the Republic and America the Beautiful. The songs are not bogged down in sentiment; the presentation is clean, upbeat, and uplifting. I found America the Beautiful to be particularly compelling.

All in all, this is a very impressive CD. If you like your holiday music to include tenors singing in top form, you cannot do any better than this.

--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2003)

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From the Liner Notes:

The Irish Tenors are accompanied by the Czech National Chamber Orchestra.

From the All Music Guide (www.allmusicguide.com); AMG Biography:

"No mere green-shaded knock-offs of their more famous Mediterranean counterparts, the Irish Tenors comprise three vocalists with individually distinguished careers who came together for a concert at Ireland's giant Royal Dublin Society complex. The concert, accompanied by a sixty-piece orchestra, was well attended and was recorded for television. What cemented the three singers into a group, however, was the broadcast of the concert during the U.S. television PBS network's fundraiser in March of 1999. The broadcast, with favorites like "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling" and "Only Our Rivers Run Free," rode the crest of a new American Irish craze, and the trio was contracted for further recordings."

The three Irish Tenors are John McDermott, Ronan Tynan, and Anthony Kearns. McDermott, an Irish Canadian, in 1995 recorded a group of Irish songs for his parents' fiftieth wedding anniversary; a copy of the tape fell into the hands of the EMI Music label, which immediately signed him to a multi-album contract. Tynan has overcome the disability of two prosthetic legs to win honors that include not only top finishes at various European vocal competitions, but also several equestrian championships. Kearns is a leading lyric tenor in Ireland who has also toured with the English Light Opera Company. McDermott left and was replaced with Finbar Wright before the Irish Tenors toured in 2000."