Ronan Tynan charmed, delighted and entertained at the Theatre Royal last week. A big man, a strong tenor, with a wonderful voice, a fund of stories (better than some stand-up comedians) at fine line in self-deprecating wit and a glorious sense of entertainment.
There was no warm-up act here and he came onstage with a rocking good quality backing band of five gifted musicians. Bill Lewis was on baby grand piano with keyboards, drums, guitar and bass and he entertained with choices mostly from his CD Sing Me an Irish Song.
Ride On set the tone for this ex-De La Salle College student and he gave is Wild Mountain Thyme, a classy Cohen Hallelujah, a beautiful Schubert, Ave Maria, Res is the Rose and two wonderful rock tunes, Bono’s All I Want is You and Springsteen’s Into the Fire (with sad post 9/11 sentiments).
He was joined in the first half by two beautiful Americans Olivia and Dylan Mullen who chorused on Cohen and gave us a beautiful version of Pie Jesu.
In the second half he again charmed and entertained and he is obviously happy in his skin to share his wonderful talents. He moved from Sing Me an Irish Song to Grace to a beautiful American song Mary Fahl’s Going Home. His version of Tommy Sand’s There Were Roses was a treat with Bill Lewis doing a quality piano intro.
The two Mullen’s again impressed with an American folk choir favourite Til The Stars Fall From the Sky and a beautiful a capella Irish Blessing.
Tommy Comerford (his mother is Cathleen Reidy from Roanmore). took us to the Green Fields of France and Tynan and Band (superb guitar work) rocked us with Leonard Skynyrd’s Sweet Home Alabama, told another long opera story and did a bit of E Lucevan de Stella from Tosca, ripped into The Fields of Athenry with Comerford, encored with the Parting Glass and rocked and had the audience singing along to Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For. Another wonderful night at the Royal.
