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TENORISSIMO! THREE TENORS PRESENT ELECTRIFYING
PERFORMANCE
by Barbara Wilkinson
There is nothing so captivating than a well-trained classical tenor voice, and the
three talented young musicians from “Romanza” did not let the audience down on Friday,
April 29, at the Northland Pines High School Auditorium in Eagle River. Sponsored by
the Headwaters Council for the Performing Arts, the gifted trio presented a repertoire of
songs entitled “Tenorissimo” that appealed to every age. From beginning to end the
music was inspiring and harmonic, and the ambience was intimate, yet full of humor.
Much of the enjoyment came not only from the musicians’ ability to revitalize
classical and operatic vocal arrangements but also from retaining the authenticity of the
selections to meet the needs of the contemporary audience. The gifted trio performed
both together and in solo, each making his individual mark as a highly skilled musician
that will see many future years of singing to enthusiastic audiences.
Phil Grant set the ambiance of the evening with a rousing adaptation of Turco and
Denza’s Funiculi Funicula. His rich tones were clear and his demeanor lively, eventually
leading in Paul Ouellette, a versatile performer whose voice easily resonated from soft to
loud, bringing great emotion to the music. As the audience began to clap, Ken Lavigne
added his rich vibrant tones and the three tenors ended in a crescendo, expressing the
exhilaration of the Italian celebratory song of the first funicular cable car on Mt.
Vesuvius in the late 1800s. Accompanied by talented musicians, pianist Oleg Levin,
violinist David Triaze and double bass player Matt Mobley, the singers quickly delighted
the audience.
Many of the selections were both inspirational an emotional. With an innate
ability to feel the music, Lavigne performed a passionate rendition of Rolf Lovland’s You
Raise Me Up. His poignancy was clearly felt by the audience. Grant followed with an
intimate lead-in about his lost dog and beautifully sang the heartrending hit from “Les
Miserable,” Bring Him Home. Danny Boy (Anonymous), an Irish favorite for people
from all nationalities, was poignantly sung in three parts with the entire accompaniment,
eliciting the somber mood of loved ones parting.
Grant dedicated a fervent rendition of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s You’ll Never
Walk Alone to his godson and easily conveyed this emotion to the audience. Together the
trio performed the 2006 Olympic rendition of Foster and Bocelli’s Because We Believe in
several languages, filling the auditorium with breathtaking harmony. Finally, with
profound meaning and phenomenal breath control, Ouellette performed an awe-inspiring
Lord’s Prayer, which enraptured the audience.
Yet the performance was not limited to the deep emotions. Indeed, the tenors
showed their passions for opera and folk tunes as well. Highlights included the Brazilian
composer Zequinha De Abrew’s 1917 lively international hit Tico Tico no Fuba, which
elicited laughter from the audience as the trio also played the “eggs” to keep time with
the music. Together they performed Gioachino Rossini’s Torna a Sorriento, each
sounding much like Luciano Pavarotti at the slow, sonorous beginning and then changing
their focus to emulate Elvis Presley complete with bodily gyrations at the finale. The
mellow tones of the violin accompaniment gave the piece a sadness and then transformed
it to the beat of the modern version. Ouellette and Grant belted out Eduardo De Capua’s
O Sole Mio beautifully exhibiting their separate abilities to capture their audience with
excitement and joy. Not to be bested, Lavigne entered the festivities by trying to outdo
his fellow singers. Throughout the evening there was little doubt that the performers
were having as good a time as the audience who gave the musicians a well-deserved
standing ovation.
The tenors topped off their exceptional evening with an encore of Largo al
factotum (Figaro’s boastful aria from “The Barber of Seville”).
Once more,
congratulations to the Headwaters Council for the Performing Arts for a first-class
presentation.