Tenor Finbar Wright has enjoyed success across the world, from performing in venues such as Carnegie Hall to recording an official anthem for the Premier League football club Arsenal.

After 27 years as a solo artist, the singer is most proud of the impact of his music on the audience.

“One of the great things about singing is that you become part of people’s lives – they associate the songs you sing with different things that happened in their lives. It’s a great honour,” he says.

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Finbar’s musical legacy is set to be celebrated in tandem with his 60th birthday at a concert in the National Concert Hall this month – though festivities for the latter are kicking off early.

“It’s a bit like the Queen, I’m a bit ahead of myself,” the affable Corkman laughs. “I won’t be 60 really until September.”

Finbar started his career in music with piano lessons at the age of six, later studying singing at the Cork School of Music. He won major singing awards at Feis Maitiu, Cork and at the Feis Ceoil, Dublin, and represented Ireland at the BBC’s Cardiff Singer of the World competition. In 1979, he performed in front of Pope John Paul II’s legendary first Papal Mass at the Phoenix Park, Dublin.

He went solo in 1990 with his album Because, recording seven albums since, and is a member of The Irish Tenors.

a higher calling

However, music wasn’t Finbar’s only calling in life – he also spent seven years as a priest. As one of the first singing priests in Ireland, Finbar left religious orders in 1987. Does he ever wonder how his life would have turned out if he stayed?

“Ah … I might be the bishop of Cork now,” he jokes.

Ultimately, it was loneliness that forced him to leave the religious orders.

“Well, you know, I enjoyed my time in the priesthood. It had a huge impact on my life. It was something special and I wouldn’t regret it for one minute – it just wasn’t for me. I felt it was an incredibly lonely life.

“What drove me out, eventually, was that you finish your day and you go home on your own. There were eight of us in my family, there were loads of people around and you were always involved with lots of people.

“I really have great respect for all the priests in the country who work so hard. I certainly wouldn’t regret it.”

a partner for life

Finbar then went on to marry his wife Angela in 1990, who he originally met when taking classes in the Cork School of Music in 1984.

“We were only friends at that stage. There was no romance. When I left the priesthood, we just met up by accident.

“The friendship grew and on it went from there, thankfully. It made all the difference to my life, personally. We have two gorgeous children. Fergus is 25 and Ileana is 23.”

highlight reel

Looking back on his career, Finbar has a few highlights.

“One of the really big occasions, after the Pope’s visit, was when Bill Clinton came to Ireland. I think it was 1995 and I was invited to do a concert for him at Dublin Castle. That was a huge occasion really, and Dublin Castle is a great place to perform.

“Another one would have been a show we recorded on Ellis Ireland in New York with the Irish Tenors. That was a very special occasion, because very few people are allowed on Ellis Island and we got to perform there.

“As part of the Irish Tenors, a lot of our career is in the United States, where there are about 40m people of Irish descent and lots of their ancestors would have come through Ellis Island. Martin Sheen, who has great Irish connections, he was the MC for the night. His own mother had come through the hall we were performing in and he got very emotional.”

With Finbar’s long and distinguished career, there will be a lot of ground to cover at the National Concert Hall on 30 April.

“I will sing a lot of the songs that people have grown to love over the years, with a mixture of Italian and Spanish songs. For a celebration like this we’ll cover everything,” he says. CL

Finbar Wright celebrates his 60th Birthday and 27 years of international success in the National Concert Hall on Sunday 30 April 2017. Tickets are on sale now. Website: www.finbarwright.com