Matthew Gilsenan, one of the Celtic Tenors, called the Peninsula B次元官网网址 Review from Dublin, one hour before they were due to perform at the Church of the Three Patrons. Fellow tenor Daryl Simpson forgot his suit at home, and spent much of the day trying to secure one.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e been to a Catholic priest and three or four husbands of people organizing the event tonight, and that is going to be a large part of the show tonight,B次元官网网址� laughed Gilsenan.

Gilsenan, Simpson and James Nelson are returning to Sidney as part of a two-week tour of Canada and the United States. Gilsenan said that the lush greens of the West Coast remind him of Ireland, where B次元官网网址渢he grass grows over the ditches.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淥f all of the places IB次元官网网址檝e been to in the continent of North America, your neck of the woods gives me a sense of not being so far away, even though it is.B次元官网网址�

The group just finished an extensive tour of Germany, including a stop in Weimar. Gilsenan said the group does find time to explore the places theyB次元官网网址檙e in, but Weimar is notable for being close to the Buchenwald concentration camp. Though the other members wanted to go, Gilsenan did not think he could bear it, but the groupB次元官网网址檚 German driver encouraged him, saying that every German schoolchild had to see it for themselves.

B次元官网网址淚t was a life-changing thing for me.B次元官网网址�

Gilsenan said the group picks songs they love and that resonate with them.

B次元官网网址淚f something really resonates for a performer, it translates to an audience on a deep level, so we sing songs that are relevant to us right now,B次元官网网址� he said.

As an example, he brings up one song, B次元官网网址淭he Dutchman,B次元官网网址� made popular by Steve Goodman. It is about a wife who cares for a husband with dementia, which has a special significance for Gilsenan because it affected his own family.

Gilsenan says they sing the B次元官网网址渕eat and potatoesB次元官网网址� of any Irish act, including songs like B次元官网网址淲hiskey In The JarB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址淭he Irish Rover,B次元官网网址� but the audience can also expect some operatic hits and Christmas tunes. This year, the group decided to be B次元官网网址渙n the hymny, more religious sideB次元官网网址� for the Christmas selections, though Gilsenan said that happened organically.

To keep it fresh, the group keeps adding new songs to the mix. Their set list is B次元官网网址渁 constantly living organismB次元官网网址� because he said they could never play the same list over and over.

Gilsenan, who has three children, will tell their father if a songB次元官网网址檚 getting a bit tired, so he said they serve as B次元官网网址渜uality controlB次元官网网址� for the group.

B次元官网网址淲e donB次元官网网址檛 take ourselves terribly seriously. ItB次元官网网址檚 a lively show, itB次元官网网址檚 not stuffy in any way. We try to have a lot of interaction with the audience and get everybody singing.B次元官网网址�

The Three Tenors are performing at the Mary Winspear Centre on Dec. 5 and 6 at 7:30 p.m.

reporter@peninsulanewsreview.com
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