Ross delving into John McCormack songbook
Acclaimed local tenor to perform at the Mermaid on July 1
ACCLAIMED tenor Ross Scanlon will perform ‘ The John McCormack Songbook’ at Mermaid Arts Centre on Saturday, July 1.
He will be joined on stage by pianist David O’Shea and the pair will look the part, dressed in the garb of the early 19th century as they pay tribute to the great Irish singer John McCormack.
The evening will feature classics such as ‘I hear you Calling Me’, ‘Macushla’, Angels Guard Thee’ and many more audience favourites.
‘I grew up listening to him,’ said the Bray man. ‘My first singing teacher introduced me to him.’
Pianist David O’Shea suggested creating the show based on McCormack’s catalogue. David and Ross knew each other from college and both admire the tenor’s work greatly.
For the past two years, the afternoon show has sold out in the National Concert Hall.
‘We decided to take it on the road this year and do four venues,’ said Ross. They will open in Bray on July 1, before going to the Riverbank in Newbridge on July 7 and the Theatre Royal in Waterford on July 8. There’ll be a quick weekend break for the very important business of Ross’ 30th birthday, before they close with the usual afternoon performance in the National Concert Hall on August 4.
‘It’s a much longer programme,’ said Ross. ‘It’s a show of all his hits really, all the oldschool songs.’
Ross has been singing the McCormack songs for as long as he can remember. ‘I love them,’ he said. ‘It really is music for everyone.’
He described the effect the songs had on a member of the audience at a performance in the National Concert Hall last year. ‘A local nursing home brought eight patients. A nurse came up to me at the end and said that they had a woman with them in the final stages of Alzheimer’s diseas. They hadn’t gotten any communication from her in the last eight months but that day she spoke to them and sang along to some of the songs.
‘I’m hoping that we have people of all ages and all backgrounds. There’ll be lots of interaction with the audience. I’ll tell stories, and link it to James Joyce and Ulysses.’
Ross will try to link his stories as much as he can to each venue. John McCormack had a house at one time in Old Connaught. ‘I’ll need to do more research,’ said Ross. ‘His time was the early 1900s.’ It was the date of his birthday at the time of speaking, and he would have been 103 last week.
‘He was from Athlone, and lived in Booterstown towards the end of his life. He also had apartments in London and New York and was made a Papal Count.’
‘ There’ll be a narrative, a timeline almost throughout the show.’
John McCormack had a really specific sound and tone to his voice. ‘Some people loved him, and some didn’t,’ said Ross. ‘I’m not reproducing the sound, but giving the best interpretation of what he would have done. We’re using the original arrangements of the music. He used a tiny black book for all of his notes and lyrics, and I’ll have the black book with me.’
While classical music is Ross’ milieu, he has deep fondness for a number of other genres.
‘I grew up on musical theatre, and their are so many different styles within that. I’ve met people over the years who would turn up their nose at musical theatre, or pop. But I used to do gigs in London to pay my rent, and I’d do open mic nights and stuff. I love it.’
He has done a number of shows with Bray Musical Society, and Sheevawn, and enjoyed every moment of it.
‘Classical music is amazing. I love it and I’m very lucky to be doing it, but it can be very intense. It can be like a pressure cooker being in rehearsal all day. You can be in the theatre for eight hours in complete darkness. When you come out, you need that light relief. Some people are ruled by their craft and they can’t see outside of that.’
Gospel music is another favourite of his, and Ross was one of a group of four to found Bray Gospel Choir in 2009. Ruth Donnelly, Alex Crampton and Serena Kilkenny were the other three. ‘ That was around the kitchen table one night in Serena’s house. When we held auditions we thought maybe 10 people would turn up, but there were 50 or 60.’
While mainly based in London now, where he graduated from the Royal Academy of Music, Opera Schoool, Ross still maintains a friendly connection with the choir. He does workshops once in a while, and has stepped in to cover for the musical director if needed. ‘AGain, it was another genre of music I could just get lost in,’ he said. To find out more, or book tickets, go to mermaidartscentre.ie.