[ ClassicalX ] Tenor times ten: Even the husbands warm up to the music, eventually

Stewart Morris, who is one of the longest-serving members of the vocal ensemble The Ten Tenors, says it takes about four songs before the husbands start to relax.

"Our shows have this sort of pattern," he said, speaking by cell phone from somewhere in the vicinity of Greenwood, S.C., where the group was preparing to perform.

"We'll start out with a few classical or operatic pieces, then slip in something that's totally different, like a doo-wop medley. And depending on the stage lights, we can actually see some of the men in the crowd come around.

"You know, the disgruntled husbands who were brought to the show, they realize that maybe this is going to be a fun evening, after all."

As those who saw the Ten Tenors when they played Tulsa last year, these Australian singers put on an entertaining evening, mixing classical and popular songs with theatrical razzle-dazzle. The current incarnation of the group returns to Tulsa for a pair of Mother's Day weekend concerts, presenting a new show titled "Nostalgica."

The Ten Tenors got their start in 1995, when the original members were students at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music in Brisbane, Australia. They put together a group to do corporate shows, just a few gigs yearly, to help earn money to pay for their studies.

Three years later, the group decided to see if there was enough interest in 10 Australian guys singing arias and pop songs with an operatic flourish to make a career. The Ten Tenors have been on the road ever since, and more than two dozen performers have passed through the group's ranks.

Taking requests
The idea for the "Nostalgica" show, which includes a large number of songs that fans have requested of the group, has been in the works for a couple of years.

"We did some test runs of it in small towns in Australia, because we thought we were really going out on a limb with this show," Morris said. "I mean, we're kind of known for the operatic stuff, and this show is the music that came after opera. It's mostly 20th century music, from 'Danny Boy' and 'Wonderful World' to 'Fire and Rain' and 'Bohemian Rhapsody.' "

The concern about the show's reception, Morris said, proved to be unfounded.

"We've been just overwhelmed by the response," he said. "Especially here during this tour of the States. It's one of those shows where, no matter what age you are, you're going to hear something you know and like. I think it's the best-crafted show we've done."

And while Morris is happily committed to being one-tenth of the Ten Tenors, he also has other musical interests.

"I'm the singer in a heavy metal band called Ashes of Corruption," he said. "And when I have my holidays in July, we're going into the studio to record our first album."

The Ten Tenors
When: 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. May 10

Where: Chapman Music Hall, Tulsa Performing Arts Center, 101 E. Third St.

Tickets: $18-$60; 596-7111, tulsaworld.com/mytix

Source: Tulsa World