Review: Shamrock Tenors (Adelphi Theatre)

Review by Sam Waite

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Making headline appearances on the BBC, topping the iTunes World Music charts, and soon to be broadcast across the United States, the Shamrock Tenors stand as proof that sometimes an old-fashioned good time is what the world wants. A quintet of vocalists with myriad careers elsewhere in the arts – actors, songwriters, directors, multi-instrumentalists – their blend of good humour, classic songs, and in the case of their live show at the West End’s Adelphi Theatre, a handful of guests, adds up to a marvellous evening.

The Tenors – Tom Brandon, Jimmy Johnston, Matthew Campbell, and brothers Raymond and Jack Walsh – keep mostly to the classics. “Whiskey in the Jar” and “Danny Boy” are just two of the many songs they brought their immaculate vocal qualities to, along with a number of originals by Johnston. Any of the five could easily headline a concert of their own, so personable are they when engaging with their audience, and so strong are the voices on display – each sings beautifully, but they’re at their best when all five tenor voices rise and fall in perfect, stunning harmony. Just as in tune when speaking between songs as they are while singing them, there’s a joyous sense of camaraderie that extends across and beyond the stage.

For their performance at the Adelphi, the Tenors were joined by an array of special guests showcasing talent from across Ireland. Fra Fee made a tragically short appearance, singing just one song with the group before quietly exiting. While I imagine schedules permit only so much, and that the night should keep the Shamrock Tenors as the main focus, the swiftness of this particular cameo was hard not to be a bit thrown by. Similarly, Jasmine Gardiner was gone in a flash, but the excitement and palpable joy of making her West End debut made her spotlight moment much harder to forget. Both guest vocalists demonstrated strong, well-honed talents, but Gardiner’s bright tone and contrast to the tenor vocals around her truly stood out.

Elsewhere, the group were joined by Irish dancers, both from Unity Irish Dance Company and the Cara-Gael Irish dance school in London. Some would think that a five-minute (or slightly longer) dance segment set to only the percussion of their shoes on the stage might become dull at what is, ostensibly, a night of music. Those people would be silly, and wrong, and undoubtedly proven silly and wrong by the crowd’s rapture as Unity pulled off increasingly frantic steps without once falling out of sync. The students from Cara-Gael proved future stars themselves, with high kicks and quick footwork that consistently impressed, particularly when the youngest, and smallest, of the dancers was given a chance to shine in a dynamic solo routine.

Rightly, though every act was represented in the bows, the night ended with an extended showcase for the Shamrock Tenors themselves, with their cheeky jokes, sensational voices, and even a brief moment in which Jimmy Johnston showed just how well-honed his own dance skills are. While the majority of the night was backed by a fabulous band directed and sometimes lead by Matthew Campbell, one of the most powerful and impressive moments came when the Shamrock Tenors gathered together with no music and no amplification, the sheer strength of their glorious harmonies filling the space. This, naturally, was followed by some upbeat drinking songs and encouragement that the audience join them to sing and dance.

All evening, the Shamrock Tenors made a West End theatre fitting 1500 patrons feel like the intimate back-room of a local pub. Here we were invited to sing along, share in their stories, and feel engrossed in the genuine warmth and affection with which this quintet meet their audience. Five stellar performers uniting to make their own work stronger and more vibrant, this is an evening I would gladly relive, and a feeling of welcoming and exuberant joy that I won’t soon forget.

For future Shamrock Tenors concert dates and information visit https://shamrocktenors.com/