Legendary Irish Tenors

Amazon.com
The lovely and lyrical sounds of a well-trained Irish tenor sound completely unique. But lately, we've been inundated with the polished sheen of the "official" Irish Tenors. Here's a look at some other Irish tenors, artists from the '30s and '40s who paved the way for today's artists. No, you won't find the large-scale orchestrations of the public television superstars on this disc, just the simple accompaniment of a harp or string section and those trademark smooth vocals. John McCormack--the legendary opera tenor who also helped popularize traditional ballads--is just one highlight here, singing "The Kerry Dance," "The Rose of Tralee," and "Ireland, Mother Ireland" (to name a few). Tracks from Dennis Day, Christopher Lynch, and Joseph McNally are also included, covering virtually the entire spectrum of Irish favorites. No, the sound isn't pristine (these recordings are at least a half-century old), but there's a nostalgic and sweet quality to these songs that simply can't be beat. --Jason Verlinde

Tracks:

The Kerry Dance - John McCormack
When Irish Eyes Are Smiling - Dennis Day
Believe Me, If All Those Endearing Young Charms - Christopher Lynch
Too-Ra-Loo-Ra That's An Irish Lullaby - Phil Regan
The Rose Of Tralee - John McCormack
The Galway Shawl - Richard Hayward
Macushla - James Melton
The Gentle Maiden - Joseph McNally
A Little Bit Of Heaven - Joseph White 'The Silver-Masked Tenor'
The Garden Where The Praties Grow - John McCormack
My Wild Irish Rose - Dennis Day
How Can You Buy Killarney - Josef Locke

Tracks:

The Mountains O' Mourne - Seamus O'Doherty
The Lark In The Clear Air - Joseph McNally
Kathleen Mavourneen - John McCormack
The Minstrel Boy - Christopher Lynch
I'll Take You Home Again Kathleen - Michael O'Duffy
She Moved Through The Fair - James Melton
The Low-Backed Car - Joseph McNally
The Harp That Once Thro' Tara's Halls - John McCormack
Where The River Shannon Flows - Morton Downey
Mother Machree - Dennis Day
Little Town In The Ould County Down - Phil Regan
Ireland, Mother Ireland - John McCormack

Amazon.com

The lovely and lyrical sounds of a well-trained Irish tenor sound completely unique. But lately, we've been inundated with the polished sheen of the "official" Irish Tenors. Here's a look at some other Irish tenors, artists from the '30s and '40s who paved the way for today's artists. No, you won't find the large-scale orchestrations of the public television superstars on this disc, just the simple accompaniment of a harp or string section and those trademark smooth vocals. John McCormack--the legendary opera tenor who also helped popularize traditional ballads--is just one highlight here, singing "The Kerry Dance," "The Rose of Tralee," and "Ireland, Mother Ireland" (to name a few). Tracks from Dennis Day, Christopher Lynch, and Joseph McNally are also included, covering virtually the entire spectrum of Irish favorites. No, the sound isn't pristine (these recordings are at least a half-century old), but there's a nostalgic and sweet quality to these songs that simply can't be beat. --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews:

Legendary ?.......2004-03-25

Apart from John McCormack, Christopher Lynch and Dennis Day, I don't think the singers would claim the Legendary Irish Tenor label. Neverltheless there is fine singing here and David Lennick has done a remarkable job on the audio quality. Richrad Hayward is clearly unconfortable with his rendering of the Galway Shawl which is only done justice by a genuine sean-nos singer.

The inside blurb written by Dr. Schenbeck contains twelve lines extolling the prowess of "Joe Feeney". The man's name was actually John (or Jack) to his friends and despite the the importance of Feeney according to Schenbeck, there is not a single 5rack by the same John Feeney.

Brings the past back.......2003-05-29

Hoping to make a buck off the recent popularity of the "real" Irish Tenors group, this two disc set contains many favorites from the early days of records and radio.

Sure, you can tell these songs don't have the studio quality behind them that a modern recording can bring. But they are still wonderful tunes sung wonderfully by some of the most famous irish voices.

It made me feel that I was back at the St. Patrick's Day parties of my youth. Buy this and enjoy it.

From out of the past............2002-08-29

Excellent collection of old Irish songs sung by the greatest of Irish tenors. I only wish there were more selections by Christopher Lynch as I remember listening to him on the "Voice of Firestone". James Melton's outstanding recording of "Macushla", Dennis Day's "My wild Irish Rose", and selections by John McCormack, Joseph Locke and others make this a must have album.

Original Irish Tenors: The Legendary Voices of Celtic Song

Average customer rating:

All Irish Music is Wonderful
Old-school Celtic Music
Fun, funny, old-school Irish pop

Original Irish Tenors: The Legendary Voices of Celtic Song
Various Artists
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Irish Folk | Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

General | International | Styles | Music

General | Celtic | International | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000E6EJGG
Release Date: 2006-02-21

Tracks:

St. Patrick's Day Parade- Dennis Day
The Wearing of the Green- John McCormack
The Rose Of Tralee- Christopher Lynch
When Irish Eyes Are Smiling- Phil Regan
How Can You Buy Killarny- Dennis Day
Where The River Shannon Flows- Morton Downey
A Ballynure Ballad- Christopher Lynch
Molly Brannigan- Morton Downey
Kathleen Mavourneen- John McCormack
Galway Bay- Dennis Day
Just A Little Bit Of Heaven- Christopher Lynch
A Sweet Irish Sweetheart Of Mine- Phil Regan
Danny Boy- Frank Parker
My Wild Irish Rose- Morton Downey
The Minstrel Boy- Christopher Lynch
It's the Same Old Shillelegh- Morton Downey
Mother Machree- John McCormack, Edwin Schneider
Come Back To Erin- Phil Regan
That's How You Spell Ireland- Morton Downey
I Met Her In The Garden Where The Praties Grow- Christopher Lynch
Clancy Lowered The Boom- Dennis Day

Amazon.com

Since the Clancy Brothers, the Dubliners, and the Chieftains, plus their many traditionally based descendants, have come on the scene, it has become fashionable to roll one's eyes over the vaudeville-flavored floridness of the Irish-American tenor repertoire. Steeped in rampant sentimentality and nostalgia, some of it is undeniably a bit corny, but that only adds to its historic interest and sneaky charm. And when interpreted by bell-voiced singers like John McCormack, Christopher Lynch, and Jack Benny's long-time henchman, Dennis Day, these vintage, gem-like miniatures are revealed as a type of culturally-specific American parlor music, not unlike the works of Stephen Foster. In the early to middle decades of the 20th century, when these songs were at their most popular, Irish-Americans had certainly weathered their fair share of misery; although deeply clannish, they were now well assimilated. Listening to wistful ballads about of love and parting, to say nothing of the occasional music hall turn performed in an exaggeratedly comic peasant brogue, not only reminded them of where they had come from but more importantly, celebrated how far they had come. --Christina Roden

Customer Reviews:

All Irish Music is Wonderful.......2007-04-04

Just buy it . Best voices, best production and joyous. Not all Irish music is fun stuff. Some of it is indeed sad. "Tis".

Old-school Celtic Music.......2006-04-03

This CD is old-school Irish music, the traditional Irish folk songs that many are so familiar with. "Danny Boy," "The Rose of Tralee," "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling" are all familiar favorites that are played over and over this time of year. And the performances are good.

You won't hear modern Celtic music on this CD, though. These are Irish crooners: think Frank Sinatra or Danny Kaye on St. Patrick's Day and you get the idea here. My favorites on this one had to be "Clancy Lowered the Boom" by Dennis Day, and Morton Downey's "The Same Old Shillelegh" - both are more upbeat songs than the rest.

I think the problem with this CD is that it's dated. The music often sounds like it was pulled from the 1940s - which it was, since this is a remastering of original recordings. I think those who remember the old days of the Hit Parade, or those who enjoy listening to that style of music, will enjoy the CD. The only real clunker to me was Christopher Lynch's rendition of "The Minstral Boy" - something about his voice just didn't agree with me, for some reason, on that song.

All in all, this is a decent addition to your St. Patrick's Day music collection.

Fun, funny, old-school Irish pop.......2006-03-09

This is a great set of old-school Irish/Irish-American pop from 1921-51, with sentimental standards like "Danny Boy" lined up next to stereotype-laden novelty songs that are even more fun now than they were back in the good old days. Celtic folk purists might not like this stuff, but open-eared listeners will still get a great kick out of 'em. Recommended!

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