It's summer in Australia, from whence The Ten Tenors hail, but they're kicking off a 24-city U.S. winter tour with a concert at 8 p.m. Saturday at Little Rock's newly rebuilt Robinson Center Performance Hall.
The "Home for the Holidays" tour, which supports their just-released album, Our Christmas Wish, concludes Dec. 27 in Tucson, Ariz.; a second leg, starting in late February, will cover 11 more cities from California to New Jersey.
The Ten Tenors
8 p.m. Saturday, Robinson Center Performance Hall, West Markham Street and Broadway. Australian vocal group touring in support of their recent album, Our Christmas Wish; through Jan. 31, the singers will donate 100 percent of their net proceeds, at least $3.50 for every album sold on Amazon (the exclusive U.S. retail partner), to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Tickets: $28-$78 (plus fees)
(501) 244-8800
Backing the tenors -- Adrian Li Donni, Cameron Barclay, Florian Voss, Jared Newall, JD Smith, Jordan Pollard, Michael Edwards, Paul Gelsumini, Sam Roberts-Smith and Virgilio Marino -- is a three-piece band (Benjamin Kiehne, piano; David Orr, guitar; and Trent Bryson-Dean, drums).
The program will reflect the album content, including traditional and contemporary seasonal tunes -- "Joy to the World," "Sleigh Ride," "White Christmas," "Amazing Grace," "Winter Wonderland" and "Feliz Navidad," among others.
"The Christmas material is all taken off our latest album, released just last year in Australia and the USA this year," says tenor Edwards via email from Down Under.
"There are some other surprises thrown in there, and some new songs written specifically for this tour. While the set list doesn't often change from night to night, I can assure you that no two Ten Tenors shows are ever the same."
The group tours up to 10 months of the year, says Edwards, "and that is mostly dominated by international travel."
"So far, 2016 has seen us closer to home with a national tour of Australia and over to New Zealand, but the group tours regularly to Europe, Asia and of course, the United States."
The group performed twice in Arkansas, at Hope and Mountain Home, during its most recent U.S. tour, November/December 2015.
Tenors generally have a reputation for being divas; 10 of them might magnify the diva factor tenfold. But, Edwards says, "there haven't been any cases of 'diva-ticulosis' while I've been with the group. Living in such close quarters while we're touring, it's important that we go with the flow and settle any issues over a beer (or on the stage). If anyone is having a moment backstage I'm not sure the other nine would let him get away with it for too long."
Each number divides the 10 singers differently, he says.
"We're really lucky that having 10 singers means having 10 completely different voices to showcase," he explains. "There can be anywhere from three harmonies all the way to seven or eight, and there are solo moments for individual singers to shine.
"Covering a diverse range of styles throughout the show means that singers are moved around vocally all the time. We like to celebrate all different types of tenors, not just the opera-style that the word 'tenor' is often associated with, so you will hear rock, pop and opera tenors singing at the top and bottom of their ranges."
And the stage show also includes a bit of choreography.
"There is definitely dancing," Edwards says. "We often recommend the audience bring their dancing shoes as well."
Weekend on 11/24/2016