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A Celtic Celebration with John McDermott

Dates 11 & 12 March 2005, 8pm
Venue Orpheum Theatre
Reviewer John Jane


 

 

 

 

Conductor Jeff Tyzik Tenor John McDermot Piano Brigham Philips Guitar Rob Piltch and Eire Born Irish Dancers


John McDermott

When VSO Pops Series conductor Jeff Tyzik, resplendent in an emerald green vest introduced celebrated tenor, John McDermott he effectively kicked off "‘CelticFest Vancouver," a week-long celebration of Celtic culture.

Popularly known as “The Irish tenor,” McDermott was in point of fact born in Scotland and raised in Toronto after immigrating to Canada with his family in 1965. And though not a tenor in the classical vein, he is a genuine troubadour who delivers his repertoire of songs for the homesick, songs for the love-lorn, and songs for those fallen in battle with profound honesty and melancholy integrity.

Dressed in black, McDermott has a relaxed low-key stage presence, often engaging the audience in playful banter. On this night he was lavish in his praise of the orchestra and gracious in sharing the spotlight with his pianist Brigham Philips and guitarist Rob Piltch.

The singer opened his segment of the concert with his own composition, “Voyage,” a pleasant ballad that lauds long-term relationships. However, the largely mature audience, came to hear the traditional melodies he is renowned for. He certainly didn't disappoint, performing a musical cache evenly split between Scottish and Irish folk songs that some of us would remember our grandmothers humming while baking bread.


 

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McDermott pitched most of his concert showcase staples: "Galway Bay," "Whiskey on a Sunday," "Skye Boat Song," "Scotland the Brave," and the bittersweet “One Small Star” a song about the loss of a loved one, dedicated to the four RCMP officers fallen in Alberta last week.

In the first half of this concert Maestro Tyzik and the orchestra presented a musical tour de force with a lively selection of light orchestral arrangements of popular Irish tunes including a medley of “McNamara's Band,” “When Irish Eyes are Smiling” and “The Irish Washerwoman.” Some of these tunes provided an opportunity for Eire Born, a troupe of ten young women from the Nora Pickett Dance Academy, to ignite the Orpheum stage with some traditional Irish step-dancing.

Members of Eire Born

McDermott ended the evening with the inevitable encore of his lilting version of "Danny Boy" (Irish Tune from County Derry) accompanied only by his pianist and guitarist, leaving his many fans clamoring for more. For anyone looking for further opportunities to celebrate Celtic Heritage this week, check out celticfestvancouver.com

© 2005 John Jane

 

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