On July 7, 1990, a global television audience estimated at 800 million was treated to a jaw-dropping music spectacle when tenors Luciano Pavarotti, Plácido Domingo, and José Carreras collaborated for the first time.
That performance, given at Rome’s Baths of Caracalla on the eve of the 1990 World Cup, marked the birth of The Three Tenors. Over the next 13 years, the celebrated trio headlined sold-out stadium concerts around the world, the recording of their debut concert still the best-selling classical album of all time.
Among those inspired by The Three Tenors’ inaugural performance was Irish native Matthew Gilsenan. Born and raised in Kells in County Meath, Gilsenan’s love of music was forged at a young age. The Three Tenors’ remarkable debut proved a springboard for what was to come, and remains very much with us, in the form of the trio he remains a part of more than 25 years after its founding.
On Saturday (August 9) at Del Crary Park, The Celtic Tenors — Gilsenan along with Daryl Simpson and newest member George Hutton — will headline Peterborough Musicfest.
It’s the last of three concerts presented as part of Irish Week in commemoration of the bicentennial of the arrival of Irish emigrants to this region. Last Saturday, U2 tribute band Acrobat and Mudmen, joined by Peterborough fiddler Irish Millie, kept the Celtic party going this past Wednesday.
Admission to the 8 p.m. concert is, as always, free, thanks to the ongoing support of a number of longtime sponsors, kawarthaNOW among them.
VIDEO: “Forever Young” – The Celtic Tenors (2017)
In an August 2023 interview with Beyond the Curtain, Gilsenan recounted how The Celtic Tenors began “as Ireland’s answer” to The Three Tenors.
“It was initially as simple as jumping on the bandwagon to make a few extra quid,” he joked, adding “We really thought it would be grand for a year or two, and we would lose interest, or fall out, and it would all be over quickly.”
As things turned out, Gilsenan and his fellow founding members James Nelson and Niall Morris “got on very well together” and, come 1999, anchored by their harmony-rich sound, came together as The Celtic Tenors.
The following year saw the trio’s debut self-titled album climb to number one in Ireland and number two in the United Kingdom as their harmonic blending of opera, classical, Irish traditional, and pop music influences clearly resulted in a huge audience yearning for more.
In 2002, the album So Strong satisfied that hunger, and eight more albums have followed, the latest being An Irish Songbook released in 2019. In total, album sales have totalled more than one million.
Over the years, Gilsenan has been a constant, but Morris went his own way in 2006 and was replaced by Daryl Simpson. Earlier this year, Nelson retired and was replaced by Hutton.
Both Simpson and Hutton have very impressive musical resumés of their own.
Simpson is a native of Omagh in Northern Ireland, where he founded the Omagh Community Youth Choir. Trained as an operatic tenor, he has performed with orchestras around the globe. Off stage, 2018 saw him bestowed the British Empire Medal for his commitment to community relations and peace in Northern Ireland.
Hutton, meanwhile, calls Derry in Northern Ireland home. His music career began as a chorister, and gained traction through collaborations with other artists and ensembles, including Hozier of the vocal ensemble Anúna and legendary Irish composer Phil Coulter. His solo work, best exemplified by acclaimed albums and sold-out tours, has earned him recognition as one of Ireland’s most exciting young tenors.
VIDEO: “Isle of Hope, Isle of Tears” – The Celtic Tenors (2020)
In his 2023 interview, Gilsenan described the past 25 years-plus as “a tornado of travel.”
“It has always been about the live performance,” he said. “From absolutely crazy nights at massive festivals in the States, to the time Bono (of U2) hired us to sing for Kofi Annan right after we had a magical evening with (former American president) Bill Clinton in Dublin, to singing with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and myriad of other orchestras, it has been a blast so far.”
“We have toured China with a wonderful Chinese orchestra, we have recorded at Abbey Road, and in Los Angeles, Dublin, and New York. The list goes on. We have a massive bank of memories and, at the same time, we still feel like we are only starting.”
Asked what audiences can expect from a typical Celtic Tenors’ show, Gilsenan quickly answered “An accessible evening of great music.”
“The three of us will take you on a journey through our story. We will share with you our harmonies and some of arrangements of greats songs Ireland shares with Scotland, and some of our many arrangements (of songs by other artists), from Ed Sheeran to Bob Dylan to Nessun Dorma.”
Still, for all The Celtic Tenors have accomplished, Gilsenan remains most in awe of the ongoing chemistry that forms the foundation of the trio’s success.
VIDEO: “Red is the Rose” – The Celtic Tenors (2020)
“Almost immediately, we were not only singing the classic tenor belters, but we were harmonizing, bringing in Irish and Scottish music,” Gilsenan recalled. “This continued to evolve, and we continued to bring in even more diverse ideas. Our basic core mission evolved into a real eclectic mix.
“The three of us are all quite different. Wicked humour unites us, and we really bring that to the performance.”
This Saturday’s concert will be preceded at 6:30 p.m. by rock music artist Jason Dunn performing under the Cogeco tent near the George Street entrance to Del Crary Park. He is appearing as part of Musicfest’s new Future Sound Series featuring the talents of local performers this summer.
Peterborough Musicfest is presenting 16 free-admission concerts during its 38th season, each staged on Wednesday and Saturday nights until Saturday, August 16th.
Overseen by executive director Tracey Randall and staff, a board of directors, and numerous volunteers, Peterborough Musicfest’s stated mission remains “to provide diverse, affordable live music to enrich cultural and economic prosperity in our community.”
For more information on this concert or the 2025 season, visit www.ptbomusicfest.ca or phone the Peterborough Musicfest office at 705-755-1111.
kawarthaNOW is proud to be a headline sponsor of Peterborough Musicfest’s 2025 season.
