Celtic Tenors headline Irish celebration -- also Celtic Nots and Haran Dancers

Mar 7, 2006

For Immediate Release

Contact: Annie Matlow 326-3136

The Celtic Tenors Matthew Gilsenan, Niall Morris and James Nelson have captivated audiences throughout the UK, Europe and the U.S. since their arrival on the music scene in 2000. What began just a few years ago as three very talented friends gathering informally in Gilsenan's home and working on their harmonies has since exploded into an international recording and touring phenomenon that transcends the trio's classical roots and embraces folk, pop and various other dimensions of the musical spectrum.

They will join the Spokane Symphony under the baton of Associate Conductor Morihiko Nakahara, the Celtic Nots and the Haran Dancers to help extend the St. Patrick's Day celebration for one more day on Saturday March 18 at 8 p.m. in the Spokane Opera House.

The Celtic Tenors' titled debut album immediately soared to the No. 2 spot on the UK classical charts. It went to No. 1 in Ireland and Germany, and won the Echo Award (the German version of the GRAMMYS) for Best Classical Crossover Album of 2002. The Tenors' full-length TV special, Ein Grosse Irischer Abend (A Great Irish Evening), filmed in front of a capacity crowd in Hamburg, was broadcast to millions of viewers in Germany regularly for more than two years. It then released as a special on more than 260 channels of the PBS network in the U.S. In a short time, this combination of recording, touring and worldwide television exposure made The Celtic Tenors one of the most successful classical crossover acts of 2002, with an album in the top ten of the Billboard charts in the U.S.

So Strong, the 2002 follow-up to the trio's auspicious debut, was recorded at Abbey Road Studios and produced by the legendary Mike Moran.

Their most recent album, Remember Me, was released in the U.S. on the Telarc label in February 2006. Remember Me features four very special guest vocalists; Samantha Mumba (You Raise Me Up), Brian Kennedy (We Are Not Islands) and Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock of Air Supply, who lend a hand on an epic version of Air Supply's classic power pop ballad of 1980, All Out of Love. The project was a no-brainer for Russell, whose first experience of the trio made him an instant fan. 'All Out Of Love' was our biggest hit, and I wanted to re-record it, he says. I heard The Celtic Tenors on a visit to Ireland and I knew immediately that we just had to duet with these guys.

The Celtic Tenors were invited to sing for former U.S. President Bill Clinton during his visit to Dublin Castle in 2002 as part of a fund raising effort for the Northern Ireland Peace Fund. Clinton has since said The Celtic Tenors' version of his favorite song, Danny Boy, is the best he's ever heard. In 2004, the trio had the special honor of singing in a private audience for U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan and his wife Nane during a trip to Ireland. The surprise recital in honor of Annan's birthday was a personal gift to the couple from U2 frontman Bono.

Matthew Gilsenan
Matthew Gilsenan is one of Ireland's most accomplished young tenors; he has achieved considerable success singing in competitions throughout the island country. His oratorio performances include Beethoven's Mass in C, Symphony No. 9, Mendlessohn's Walpurgesnacht, Saint-Saens' Christmas Oratorio, Handel's Messiah, Dvorak's Mass in D and Mozart Masses.

Niall Morris
Niall Morris was born in Dublin. Upon entering the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, he won the Wolfson Prize, the highest attainable scholarship. He completed his studies at the National Opera Studio. His first role in the professional world of opera was Nemorino (L'Elsire d'Amore) with the English Touring Opera, which traveled throughout the UK. Following this, he then created the role of Davey in Jonathan Dove's Siren Song to great acclaim at the Almeida Theatre of London. After a year-long tour with the d'Oyly Carte Opera Company as Ralph Rackstraw (HMS Pinafore) he was chosen by the immensely gifted composer Thomas Ades to create the tenor roles in his debut opera Powder Her Face Again at the Almeida.

James Nelson
Originally from Sligo, Ireland, James Nelson is a B.A., B.Mus (Hons) graduate from University College Dublin. His busy opera and concert schedule has taken him throughout the UK and Ireland, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Russia, Israel, Singapore and the United States. From an oratorio repertoire of more than sixty works, highlights include Frank Martin's Golgotha in Bern and Zurich cathedrals and L'Enfance du Christ alongside Katia Ricciarelli in Rome and Florence. Nelson has performed more than fifty roles in opera and operetta , including Pinkerton (Butterfly), Lensky (Onegin) in Russia, Alfredo (Traviata) in Como, Italy, Tichon (Katya) in Lisbon and Porto, and Basilio (Figaro) under the baton of Raymond Leppard for Scottish Opera.

Celtic Nots is a Spokane-based acoustic band playing music based on the Celtic Music traditions of improvisation, layered harmonies, and interspersed melodies. They draw from folk music traditions from England, Ireland, Scotland, Brittany, Galicia, and America, throw in some Middle Eastern, Far East, jazz and rock influences, and add some humorous irreverence for good measure.

The Nots are: Carlos Alden, host of the "Nacho Celtic Hour" on KPBX public radio and a well-recognized figure in the local Folk music scene. Carlos plays cittern (a 10-string bass mandolin thingy), guitar, banjo, percussion, and vocals.

Nigel Elliott, a Londoner who grew up in Northern Ireland and Africa, and a seasoned drummer who toured with some of the most famous popular rock acts from England in the 80s and who has been in so many bands he can't remember them all. Nigel plays bodhrán (the traditional Irish frame drum), djembe (a powerful African "healing drum"), cajón ("the big box") and all manner of percussion; he also sings.

James Hunter, another well-traveled Englishman, plays flutes, whistles, uilleann pipes (Irish bagpipes), didgeredoo, percussion, and vocals.

The Haran Irish Dancers have been delighting audiences throughout the Pacific Northwest for more than ten years. Traditional and non-traditional Irish step dancing are incorporated into the show. Audiences can expect to see the lovely slip jigs danced in soft shoe, figure dance and group choreographies, Irish folk tales dramatized through song and dance, as well as fast moving, dead-accurate, hard shoe dancing. In the Irish Dance world we are known for our creativity and spirit of fun.

From humble beginnings in Kettle Falls, Washington, the Haran Dancers are branching out in both competition and performance. They have won many regional as well as national competitions and two of their principal dancers qualified for the world championships.

Tickets are on sale for $17, $26, $34, and $39. Call the Spokane Symphony Ticket Office at (509) 624-1200 or go to the Spokane Symphony Ticket Office, 818 W. Riverside. Tickets are also available, with service charges, through TicketsWest at 325-SEAT, 1-800-325-SEAT and at www.spokanesymphony.org.

Other fun stuff with this concert:

The Spokane Symphony Limerick Contest
Guidelines:
Limericks will be judged by the Spokane Symphony and the top three winning entries will be read at the March 18, 2006 Celtic Tenors concert. Naughty limericks will be disqualified. The deadline for entering the Limerick Contest is March 15, 2006. Don't forget to get your tickets for the concert so you can hear your limerick read. Enter limericks by email at symphonymarketing@spokanesymphony.org, mail, or by stopping by at 818 W. Riverside, Suite 100, Spokane, WA 99201.

Prizes:
The First Place winner will receive a pair of tickets to a concert of their choice, including a backstage tour and the opportunity to meet the conductor. The Second Place winner will receive a pair of tickets to a concert of their choice, including a backstage tour. The Third Place winner will receive a pair of tickets to a concert of their choice, including a backstage tour.

Lucky Leprechaun Seat
One lucky ticket holder at the March 18 concert will be a Lucky Leprechaun. A ticket stub will be drawn after intermission and the winner will receive a free night at Hotel Lusso, dinner at Luigi's and a pair of tickets to the May 6, 2006 performance of the Spokane Symphony and Five by Design. All ticket holders are eligible and you must be present when ticket seat is called to win. You must be eighteen years or older to win.