God Bless America!
Frank Patterson is an Irish tenor in the grand tradition of John McCormack andJosef Locke.God Bless America!is a live recording of a concert he performed in tribute to his adopted country. The songs range from traditional Irish tunes like "The Star of the County Down" and "The Spinning Wheel" to sentimental music-hall ballads like "Mother Machree" and "The Rose of Tralee." He also sings the inevitable "O Solo Mio" (is there a tenor born who can resist it?) and Andrew Lloyd Webber's "The Music of the Night." Patterson is joined on a number of tunes by his wife, Eily O'Grady, and her Irish Harp Orchestra. Patterson is an unabashedly emotional singer who wrings the last teardrop out of chestnuts like "Danny Boy," but he does it in such a charming manner that his performances never descend into kitsch.--Michael Simmons