Rockin' The Town
Ten Tenors - Home For The Holidays
Concert Review
December 3, 2016, Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, Kansas
Vocal Members: Cameron Barcley, Michael Edwards, Paul Gelsumini, Adrian Li Donni, Virgilio Marino, Jared Newall, Jordan Simon Pollard, Sam Roberts-Smith, JD Smith and Florian Voss.
Instrumentalists: Trent Bryson-Dean (drums), Benjamin Kiehne (piano) and David Orr (guitar.)
It was a rousing night for the Tenors and the audience heard the following songs:
Adeste Fideles, All I Want For Christmas Is You, Amazing Grace, Ave Marie, pa Medley, Feliz Navidad, I Still Call Australia Home, I Would Do Anything For Love, Jersey Boys Medley, Joy To The World, Land Down Under, Little Drummer Boy, Nessun Dorma, O Holy Night, Sleigh Ride, Somebody To Love, The Christmas Song, Veni Veni Emmanuel, Waltzing Matilda, White Christmas and Winter Wonderland
The Ten Tenors are based in Australia and tour extensively on both sides of the Equator. A tenor’s voice can vary from deep tenor to high tenor, which results in a great impersonation such as Frankie Valli in “The Jersey Boys Medley.” Their program, which spanned two and a half hours, featured the music listed above, plus smooth dance routines and backed by a three-man band. Groups gain prominence by touring, but the Tenors have inpidual lives, too, so you may have seen these singers in opera roles or musical theatre Same with the band at the back of the stage. The energy level in the auditorium was about 110%. Audience participation was a bit of clapping (“Waltzing Matilda”) or singing on “Amazing Grace.”
Traveling requires efficiency in what you can take with you and still have a good show. Since this was a Christmas special, the backdrop was black with numerous lights through the black framework. Outlines of four large Christmas trees was presented and the lights varied as the energy level of the songs. Blue for a quiet “Ave Maria” or orange for the “pa Medley.” Falling “snow” was there, too, The songs were presented in intricate harmony or solo backed by the rest of the group, which gave everyone a chance at the spotlight. The Tenors wore dark suits with open-collar shirts.
Not familiar with the group, I didn't know what to expect. Beginning with “Joy To The World,” then on to”Winter Wonderland,” and “Jersey Boys Medley,” the music was either carols, music theater or pops “All I Want For Christmas Is You.” My favorites were “Veni Veni Emmanuel” for the Advent season, “Waltzing Matilda” and “Land Down Under” for Australia (where it is summer now), an intricately arranged “Ave Maria,” nostalgic “White Christmas,” rousing “Feliz Navidad” and the operatic “Nessun Dorma.” I didn't detect a missed beat or wrong entrance. This is what the word “rehearsal” means. Talking between numbers was held to a minimum, either mentioning the cold Midwest weather as opposed to warm whether in Australia now or information about an upcoming song. First-rate production. I keep hoping someday, someone will have "The Christmas Waltz" (Mel Torme did it well) as a concert selection, but not yet.....
For more information and discography see thetentenors.com
*All proceeds from the sale of this holiday album will go to The Children's Hospital Foundation.
Copyright 2016 Marie Asner
