Edinburgh Evening News article from 01/02/03

"It might have been Pavarotti's idea to team three tenors together but it's one which has been successfully adopted in Scotland, finds Gina Davidson

For a male operatic singer to claim not to be a stuffed shirt might, for some people, be pushing it a bit too far. After all, what are the legends Pavarotti and Caruso, if not great men who could more than fill their stage clothes? But the three Scots tenors of Caledon are adamant that they are not in the least bit puffed up.

"We're not three penguins" says Alan Beck. "We all wear the tartan and in a real modern presentation of it."

It's true enough that, in their svelte trews, none of them look like they have a passion for pasta, nevertheless they can really sing, which is something they intend to prove tonight when they take to the Queen's Hall stage to perform traditional Scottish music - with a modern slant.

Fresh from concerts in Ireland, Detroit and a BBC appearance where they gave a startling version of The Proclaimers' hit 500 Miles, Alan, Jamie MacDougall and Ivan Sharpe are ready to woo the Edinburgh audience this evening.

Alan, who studied at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and won the British Wagner Society Singing Competition at Covent Garden in 1995 - the same year he made his operatic debut for Opera Ireland - says: "We love traditional Scottish music and have a passion for Scots song, but we sing everything from Burns to Braveheart to The Proclaimers."

Ivan, meanwhile, began as a boy soprano in Dumbarton and, after winning a Pilgrim Scholarship, became the head chorister of Winchester Cathedral. He then won a scholarship to study in the Opera School of the Guildhall School of Music. Upon graduating he returned to Scotland where he performed Tamino for Opera West, followed by several tours as a leading tenor with Scottish Opera-go- round.

Over the last decade, Ivan has sung most of the tenor parts on the oratorio repertoire, including Handel's Messiah in St John's Smith Square, and Verdi's Requiem in Liverpool's Philharmonic Hall.

"We decided to get together to perform some of the many beautiful Scots songs there are in our heritage - and also because this is the age of 'three tenordom'," he says. "Many countries now have their own three tenors, but very few have the depth of material available to them that we have here in Scotland."

The third tenor is Glasgow's Jamie MacDougall, who has established himself as one of the country's most versatile young singers.

Whether on the operatic stage or the concert platform, he has sung to critical acclaim, performing in many of the world's major music festivals including Edinburgh, Perth Festival in Australia, the Salzburg Festival and Aldeburgh Festival.

Of course, you might know him better as presenter of BBC Radio Scotland's classical weekly music programme Grace Notes.

Alan adds: "Our common bond is the Bard. He is as fashionable today as he ever was. There's a magic about Burns and his music. It is such a pleasure to perform in his name."