Tenore is all about doing things a little bit differently. Most groups of tenors have four members, but Tenore has three. Tenor groups aren't typically known for audience participation, but Tenore thrives off of it.
Tenore is all about doing things a little bit differently.
Most groups of tenors have four members, but Tenore has three. Tenor groups aren't typically known for audience participation, but Tenore thrives off of it.
Jill Ann Siemens, who founded the multi-platinum selling artists The Canadian Tenors, put together Tenore in 2009. The group features Jason Catron, Mark David Williams and David Wise.
Siemens said she finds great satisfaction in the creation of musical groups and particularly loved the music of tenors because her father was one.
“He used to always sing to me from the time I was a baby, ” she said. “That really put a deep love of the tenor voice into my heart. ”
Although putting a group together does have a lot to do with musical talent, Tenore acknowledged the importance of working well together as friends.
“I think the big word is chemistry, ” said Williams. “There is a natural synergy with personalities and friendship and that really helps on stage and with audience connection. ”
The sound of their three voices is something Williams described as blending well together, with the different tambours complementing each other.
And those tambours are turning out to be quite triumphant with Tenore, recently taking home the Gospel Music Association of Canada (GMA) 2014 Covenant Award for “Seasonal Album of the Year ” for their album Christmas With You.
Catron said that during the making of the album there were so many moving parts that at times it was hard to see the bigger picture of the completed project.
“To have that come out and be beautiful and successful, and have your peers recognize that, it is a very gratifying, humbling and special moment, ” he said.
As to why they chose to do a Christmas album, Wise said he thought that three tenor voices work perfectly for Christmas carols.
“It has given us a great tool to be able to connect with other people in communities, because choirs can come and sing along with us and be part of it, ” Wise said, adding that they would be performing with the Rocky Mountain Children's Choir for their Cochrane date.
Tenore will be performing in Cochrane Dec. 20 at the Cochrane Alliance Church at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20 pre-sale and available online at singtenore.com. Tickets will be $25 at the door.
