[ ClassicalX ] Tenors still call Australia home

The Ten Tenors could recite the words of I Still Call Australia Home and put a tick next to almost every lyric.

The 10-man musical ensemble has had widespread success overseas, with its constant tours and stream of live DVDs in the United States, Europe, Canada, Russia and South Africa.

But despite the plethora of musical opportunities for the large musical group, for tenor Dominic Smith, it's obvious that the lyric "I Still Call Australia Home" is the driving force for the Ten Tenors.

"Touring Australia is the thing we love doing the most," Smith says from his Atlanta hotel room in the United States.

"We've just been really lucky and I think what keeps us in the game is we're really good at what we do - and we come from Australia.

"It seems to win a lot of hearts all around the world."

Smith, who is firmly grounded and relaxed despite the group's success, will join his strong team of vocalists as it performs at the Festival Theatre on July 14. The group has enjoyed great success in Australia too, particularly with 2008 album Nostalgica, which will be unveiled to audiences on this tour.

Judging by the reaction during overseas shows, Australian audiences will love it.

"This time, we've gone back to our old-school formula and it just seems to work really well," Smith says.

"Usually with the shows in the past, we've had to tweak it for each country we've gone to, but this show we've just let go and it's worked an absolute treat."

The album Nostalgica is a collection of classic songs reworked by the group.

Smith says the songs "had a history with the band before the Ten Tenors".

Many of the songs were written into band history following fan requests.

"Most of the songs we had performed before, but a lot of guys had sung them when they studied at university," explains Smith.

"A lot of the songs had been requested over the years and we never actually got around to recording them - songs like You'll Never Walk Alone and What a Wonderful World, even Moon River.

"In our live show - the one we are taking home to Australia - we still do a lot of our favourites, like Queen, and Simon and Garfunkel. We do a James Taylor number as well and there are also some medleys that we've been famous for doing over the years that we've brought in, that get the crowd on their feet - which is what the Ten Tenors are all about."

With 10 handsome, well-dressed men travelling the world together, Smith laughs when comparisons to "a boys' weekend" are drawn.

Not to mention the fact the group has 10 singers, all of whom could suffer from LSD, otherwise known as Lead Singers Disorder, in which the ego of a frontman can affect the rest of the group's performance.

"I think we're all troublemakers, mate," laughs Smith.

"Some more than others, others more than some. I guess we're lucky because we're Australian and Australian males inherently get along together.

"There is a bit of rivalry going on at the moment because we've got five guys from Queensland and five guys from Victoria - but we have a pretty good job and we all get on with it."

What: The Ten Tenors

Where: The Festival Theatre

When: Tuesday, July 14

Cost: Tickets from $59 through BASS

Source: Adelaide Now