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The Calgary Sun - October 8, 1999
Celtic Wonder
The sweet sounds of John McDermott
By Dave Veitch
CALGARY -- John McDermott
goes down smooth and satisfying, like a pint of fine Guinness.
Give this one-time Toronto Sun employee nothing more than a microphone and
chances are, he'll not only regale you with colourful stories, but soothe
and caress you with a rich, expressive brogue that's meant to be used on
songs from the British Isles.
Toss in his casual, conversational on-stage demeanor and you have, for
all intents and purposes, a Celtic version of Dean Martin.
Not even appearing with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra before a
near-capacity crowd last night at the Jack Singer Concert Hall could faze
the unflappable McDermott.
Sure, he's used to performing with smaller ensembles and he's probably
more at home crooning in some pub, but this class act was also in his
element backed by the finest classical musicians in the city.
After eliciting laughs by striking ridiculous poses for the cameramen
assembled -- "It's better to give them something good instead of the
rubbish they print," he said -- McDermott launched into his opening
number, Love is a Voyage.
The song is exactly what you would expect from McDermott: A vividly drawn
story that addresses nothing less than the cycle of life, conveyed with a
fine blend of realism and romanticism.
The song ends, you're swooning -- and McDermott drops another of his
perfectly timed quips.
"Oh, the 8:15 tickets have arrived," he playfully noted, fixing
his gaze upon some sheepish late-comers. And so it went throughout the
evening.
The arrangements, it should be noted, were always stately and never
schmaltzy.
The orchestra added to the drama of wartime songs with drum rolls,
captured a sense of place with colliery-band-style trumpeting, and
sometimes just cushioned McDermott's velvety voice with light touches of
piano and harp.
Scotland the Great had a grandeur and epic sweep you'd expect from some
classic movie opus, while McDermott's forays into pop standards swung
gently, in the style of Frank Sinatra's work with Nelson Riddle.
McDermott would often pay tribute to his material by explaining the songs
origins.
Last night, though, he went one step further.
Ever the gentleman, McDermott relinquished the stage and invited out a
special guest, Scottish songwriter Eric Bogle, who played his own
composition, Green Fields of France, a staple of McDermott's repertoire.
Bogle then invited McDermott back to sing another of his compositions, One
Small Star.
"John sings it like an angel, which he's not," Bogle said.
He may be right, but McDermott's voice is undoubtedly Heaven-sent.
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