Life has a way of throwing some mighty fast curve balls, not always in the direction you want them to go.
For Vernon singer Paul Moore, the last few months haven’t offered a lot of catches, or releases, but he is determined to sing on.
The Juilliard-trained tenor is performing in concert with accompanist Sandra Fletcher at All Saints Anglican Church on Wednesday.
Moore, who last performed locally at Trinity United Church in July, had plans for a concert earlier this fall, however, he had to put those plans aside and almost shelved the concert completely after the sudden death of his brother, Rob Moore, on Aug. 11.
With the devastating news, Moore has decided to continue to do what he does best, with a smile on his face and his sense of humour intact.
“The nature of his death and the upsetting circumstances leading up to it have made it extremely hard to focus on what’s good about life. I have only been able to just get by and try not to let the overwhelming need for answers take over my life,” said Moore. “I have always sung about life and death and love and loss. I have sung for countless weddings and funerals, but it has mostly been for other people. I have found it quite natural to give other people a sense of hope and strength in my life and in my singing.
“My brother was the strongest person I’ve ever known so I just imagined having his strength and persistence and just decided to follow my plan.”
Besides his own solo career, Moore has also been sharing his love of singing with a choir he formed in Vernon a year ago. Three singers from the choir have agreed to sing a solo each at Moore’s performance at All Saints.
“Of course they have great voices and I’m really excited to have them in the show,” he said. “What’s even more interesting to me is their ages, 12, 20, and the oldest is in her 30s. It’s their love of singing that connects them.”
Moore also heaps the praise on his accompanist, Fletcher, a Kelowna pianist who joined him for his last concert in town.
“My audience from the last show thought Sandra was very good at the piano. She is also generous. She allows me my difficult moments and doesn’t even mind when I stop a love song right in the middle to come over to the piano and woo her with my best tenor moves,” he laughed.
Moore will start his concert off with two well-known German songs written by composer Franz Schubert. The first, Du bist die Ruh, he says, is stunningly beautiful, while the other, Die Forelle, is about a fish that gets caught.
Moore will also sing two of his favourite English songs, the classic Danny Boy, a special request from his grandparents, and Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair, followed by Dein ist mein ganzes herz, a famous aria written by Franz Lehar, and Danillo’s Song from The Merry Widow, also by Lehar.
“I also have some Frank Sinatra moments with Almost Like Being in Love, Fly Me to The Moon, and That’s Amore as well as What a Wonderful World. I can’t sing like Louis Armstrong, but I don’t think he’d mind,” said Moore.
Of course, there will also be the Italian songs Moore loves to sing, and he will explain and even demonstrate his fascination with what he calls the “Operatic Death Scene.”
“It’s where a singer is covered in blood, having been stabbed or shot, and sings for 10 minutes or sometimes more, and very beautifully I might add for someone who has been stabbed or shot,” said Moore, adding he thinks of Tim Conway’s famed character Mr. Tudball in an operatic costume when playing out the scenes.
“I like making people laugh and I grew up watching Sesame Street, The Muppets and The Carol Burnett Show.”
Moore shares his joy of singing at All Saints Anglican Church Wednesday at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25 for adults and $22 for seniors/students. They are available at the Ticket Seller, 250-549-7469 or visit www.ticketseller.ca.
