When The Irish Tenors take the stage at The Fabulous Fox in St. Louis, March 2, we will be among the large audience anxiously awaiting an opportunity to see the trio that has become the purveyors of the Irish singing heritage to a growing number of fans.

Finbar Wright, one of the Tenors, says that this is a reflection of the role that Americans have played in the preservation of the Irish musical heritage.

We caught up with Finbar, via telephone, at his home in County Cork. As might be expected, when an authentic Irishman such as Finbar and someone with an Irish heritage (County Gallway) such as myself start talking, it comes quicky and easily.

"When the immigrants left Ireland, often their only possessions were their language, their traditions and their music," explains Finabar. "Today, with more than 40 million people such as yourself having a claim to Irish heritage, there is a vast audience for Irish music. Also, Americans have done a great deal to preserve the Irish heritage, and, I maintain that the treasure of Irish music is better preserved in the US than perhaps even in Ireland."

Finbar admits that the group--
consisting of himself, Anthony Kearns and Ronan Tynan, have been ‘surprised’ by the tremendous reception they have received. They have topped 1.5 million in total album sales and spent more than two years at the top of the Billboard Music Charts.

"The idea came from the ‘Italian’ tenors (Pavarotti, Dominigo and Harris), " Finbar says. (He is quick to add that he does know that the famed trio is not truly ‘Italian’ with Harris being Spanish)

At the time, only Finbar had an established career, having spent a decade as a solo artist. Ronan is a doctor and Anthony was just starting his professional career.

But, realizing that they were the beneficiaries of one of the richest musical heritages around, ‘the boys’, as their pubicist refers to them, decided to give it a try. The rest was musical history, as the genuine friendship and affection that the three share for each other translated into some of the best performances ever heard of Irish music.

One of the reasons is the staging. This is not the Irish Pub-like singing that so many associate with music from Irreland. The Tenors are backed by a full, 60 piece orchestra.

"The result is that the orchestra presented a new dimension to the richness of the melodies and the lyrics,’ Finbar says. "It enriches and provides a ‘whack’ to the tunes."

Finbar notes that the Irish Celtic language is rich. Also, the Irish have a tradition of being wonderful story tellers.

"These two heritages have been carried over into the music we perform," he says. "It is two great traditions coming together, and we have the luxury and privilege of singing it for our audiences."

Commenting further on the richness of the Irish tradition, Finbar reflects how Ireland has provided the literary world with a host of great writers.

Now, while his modesty may prevent him from saying so, it is obvious that a new chapter in this tradition is being written by The Irish Tenors and their unforgettable presentations and interpretations of wonderful Irish music.