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Theater Review: Phil Coulter in ‘The Songs I Love So Well’
A professional air and caring touch
By Judd Hollander
Phil Coulter at the piano. (Carol Rosegg)
NEW YORK—The holidays are welcomed in joyful fashion with The Songs I Love So Well, offering a funny, tender, and at times, breathtaking performance by Phil Coulter at the Irish Repertory Theatre.
An Irish artist, Coulter has an international reputation as a songwriter, composer, arranger, music producer, recording artist, and storyteller. He looks back on some of his favorite, most memorable, and seasonally appropriate tunes for this engagement, performing them all on a grand piano with a professional air and caring touch.
"Coulter … has a husky vocal tone aged by time and experience".
Offering a mixture of instrumental and vocal selections, Coulter makes for a genial host, noting how after he’s played such venues as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, he’s finally made it to the Irish Rep.
And after working in those much larger spaces, he’s clearly enjoying appearing at a more intimate one. The songs and sounds are so perfectly balanced, it feels as if one is attending a private concert with Coulter performing directly for each member of the audience.
The evening starts off with Coulter’s rendition of the classic Irish song “Danny Boy,” the music hanging quietly in the air; it is followed by the soulful “Lament for the Wild Geese” and the touching “The Old Man,” all interspersed with some enjoyable verbal banter.
Other highlights include the gentle “In The Bleak Midwinter,” Coulter’s favorite Christmas carol; the rousing “Ireland’s Call,” which he composed for the rugby team of Ireland; the haunting folk ballad “Scorn Not His Simplicity,” a song he wrote after his son was born; and the rather jaunty “Coultergeist.”
Coulter tells an amusing story regarding “Coultergeist’s” creation. It is one of many tales and anecdotes he works into the show, all expressed with the ease of one used to making speeches sound conversational. These stories often told appear completely fresh and new.
Coulter doesn’t have a classic pop voice per se, rather he has a husky vocal tone aged by time and experience and thus is able to project nuances and feelings into every word he sings or speaks.
In regard to the latter, Coulter also proves his worth with several spellbinding poetry narrations, including his haunting and image-filled delivery of “The Man From God Knows Where.”
In an interesting coincidence, Coulter, who grew up in the town of Derry in Northern Ireland and is quite familiar with the troubles between the Catholics and Protestants and British and Irish, is performing this show on the set of “The Freedom of The City.”
The most recent production at the Irish Rep., “The Freedom of The City,” which will return after a December hiatus, tells a fictional story based on actual events. The story follows three Irish citizens caught up in a situation beyond their control after taking part in a peaceful protest disrupted by the British.
This background provides a rather appropriate setting for Coulter’s recollections from that era, many of which are crystallized with the nostalgic and bittersweet song “The Town I Loved So Well,” showing just what happens to a picturesque locale when touched by war.
Mostly a solo performance, Coulter is joined in the middle of Act 2 by Geraldine Branagan, his wife and a musical star in her own right. Branagan delivers a wonderful rendition of “The Water is Wide” and also joins her husband for several other numbers.
Coulter, who knows the classic trick of always leaving his audience wanting more, winds things up with a very enjoyable piano medley saluting the 1960s and then presents a rollicking rendition of the 1920s tune “Coney Island Washboard,” sung in the style of Jimmy Durante.
The set by Charlie Corcoran, basically consisting of the piano and some Christmas decorations, in addition to the set mentioned above, works fine. The use of a projection screen to allow the audience to see Coulter’s hands moving in time to some of the pieces he performs is a nice touch.
Sound design by Zachary Williamson augments Coulter’s music.
A virtual master on the ivories, Coulter presents heartwarming entertainment for lovers of good music, all things Irish, classical piano, and the Christmas season.
Judd Hollander is the New York correspondent for the London publication The Stage.
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And you, Phil, have a birthday coming up on Sunday - Happy Birthday! That's a good day - one of my grandsons was also born on Feb. 19. Well, here you are, entering your 70th year ~ I'm here to tell you that in a few weeks I'll be leaving my 70th and it has been a good year...hope it'll be the same for you. Have a real blast of a celebration!!
I'm finally just getting back to a regular routine here and wanted to stop by and thank you for such a wonderful cruise experience.
You have really brought a level of music and entertainment that rivals any other on the high seas, or on land! Not sure I had the chance to thank you particularly for playing Coultergeist during your own show. It has always brought that feeling of fun to your music.
Adding Ivan Black and Michael T English to the show was incredible, especially with Ivan. Who knew what talent was behind those sparkling eyes. What a joy!
I look forward to seeing what you have in store for us cruisers for next year.
Thank you again for such a wonderful time.
Arlene
The songs are so tranquil and beautiful!
This album truly is a tribute to my favorite lads, Celtic Thunder, whom I can't get enough of. Thanks so much for your incredible talent and hard work which you've given in behalf of all of CT's fans. And yours also! Wishing you much happiness, good health and continued success!
Margaret Ann
Thank you for an exceptional cruise! To be privy to such talented musicians every day was surreal, as well as great craic!! Add in how gracious and what fine people they all are and it was an amazing adventure. Thank you! New to me were Michael and Ivan, both of whom were absolutely amazing! I'm proud to have graduated from being, and never again to be, a 'Tranquility Cruise Virgin'?! I'm already counting down to next years cruise. In the mean time, I'll be keeping an eye out for yourself, or any of the other amazing musicians, on tour in the states.
big HUGS and Blessings to you and yours!
WELL,HERE I AM BACK AT MY DESK, JET-LAGGED AND COLD BUT DELIGHTED AT THE SUCCESS OF THE CRUISE. I'VE BEEN GETTING RAVE REVIEWS SINCE IT ENDED.THE FIRST TIMERS WERE BLOWN AWAY BY THE VARIETY AND HIGH LEVEL OF ENTERTAINMENT WE HAD AND THE OLD HANDS,THE 'REPEAT OFFENDERS' AS I CALL THEM,RECKON IT WAS THE BEST EVER.
THE CELTIC THUNDER FANS MAY HAVE BEEN A BIT DISAPPOINTED WHEN THEY HEARD THAT RYAN AND NEIL HAD BEEN TOLD THAT THEY'D HAVE TO LEAVE THE SHIP THREE DAYS EARLY,BUT THEY WERE THRILLED WITH EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WAS ON OFFER.EVERYBODY JUST LOVED PAUL BYROM'S TWO PERFORMANCES,POLISHED AND PROFESSIONAL PROVING HOW MUCH HE HAS BLOSSOMED AS A SOLO ARTISTE.THE NEW KID ON THE BLOCK WAS MICHAEL T. ENGLISH AND HE WAS JUST BRILLIANT.ALL THE CRUISERS BECAME INSTANT FANS AND ARE DYING TO SEE AND HEAR
MORE OF HIM.
MY OWN GIGS WERE A REAL PLEASURE TO PERFORM ,ESPECIALLY WHEN SURROUNDED BY MY BRILLIANT 'ALL-STARS', NOT TO MENTION HAVING MY WIFE GERALDINE AS GUEST SINGER.
IT WILL TAKE ME ALL OF THIS WEEKEND TO SETTLE BACK DOWN TO A NORMAL ROUTINE AGAIN !!
My husband and I were touring Ireland on Sept. 11, 2001 during the terrorist attacks on America. We had just returned to our bus in Waterford when our tour guide told us the news. Nobody felt like having fun then, so our guide put "Tranquility" on the CD player. I have always wanted you to know how much that beautiful music meant to a bus load of scared Americans. We found the CD before leaving Ireland and have been big fans ever since. That was my big dream trip and I probably won't have the opportunity again but your beautiful music is part of the memories I brought home with me. Thank you!
Ruth Garvin
Kannapolis, North Carolina
Have a safe trip - know it will be great.
As soon as the dust settled after Christmas things were really hectic in the office.I was delighted to have both Mary Byrne's and my own album in the charts over Christmas and thrilled to get an approach from Ireland's biggest promoter asking me to do a couple of shows with Mary in the Olympia Theatre,one of Dublin's finest. I immediately agreed,as I think it could be a great combination and a lot of fun. The shows were duly announced to an enthusiastic response.....so enthusiastic that the few shows have now become a run of a week,May 8 - 13.I'm really looking forward to that.
I'm also looking forward to the Tranquility Cruise,which starts on Monday next,16th.With a fantastic ship,an amazing 11 day itinerary ,including the Panama Canal, a great bunch of cruisers and maybe the best entertainment line-up ever it's going to be one Hell of a trip !! Can't wait.
Looking back on an eventful year it is very satisfying to see that Billboard Magazine have recognised my work with Celtic Thunder,with the chart performance of the albums I produced earning them Top International act. It's particularly gratifying to see that my very last production,HERITAGE,, was "World Music Album of the Year. " I suppose that's what they call going out on a high !!
Chat soon.Take good care.
Congratulations to you for all your hard work to make this happen.