ANTHONY KEARNS became a household name as a founding member of singing group and PBS stars The Irish Tenors. Kearns, considered Ireland’s foremost and finest tenor, returns to Savannah in an exciting collaboration with The Savannah Philharmonic.
Of performing solo after years with the trio, Kearns explains: “With one person alone, you’re trying to create a ‘ta-da’ moment. You can take people on a little journey with you. There’s an ebb and flow; there’s an art to building programs.”
This particular program is strikingly diverse; Kearns goes for crowd-pleasers and variety to keep the audience transfixed. Expect show tunes, opera, songs of the ‘40s, tunes that attendees grew up with from television and advertising, and, of course, Irish favorites like “Danny Boy.”
Kearns often works with his accompanist of 20 years for solo performances, but he also finds great joy in the experience of collaborating with local orchestras; he’s already come up to Savannah to rehearse with the Philharmonic.
“It’s lovely to walk onstage and have the warmth of the song behind you,” he says. “It’s like watching a movie. An orchestra lifts music to another level—there’s no question about it.”
Thursday, $16-70, tickets via savannahphilharmonic.org.
