Irish Tenors McCormack & Murphy Perform in Boston in December 1919

John McCormack and Lambert Murphy, operatic tenors and recording artists for Victor Records, performed in Boston in December 1919.

Murphy, a Harvard graduate born in Springfield MA, performed at Jordan Hall on Friday, December 5. He sang a group of American, French and Russian songs, and concluded with Irish folk songs. His finale was "There is no Death" by O’Hara, which delighted the audience.

John McCormack, famed Irish tenor, broke the attendance record at Boston Symphony Hall on December 7, where he performed “several numbers new to Boston audiences,” including an aria by Handel. He also performed a group of Irish folk songs, including "The Harp that once through Tara’s Halls" by Thomas Moore.

“Faces wore happy smiles and there were audible chuckles at numerous bits and visible tears at the pathos,” The Boston Globe wrote about McCormack “ He has the best qualities of a popular favorite: willingness to please a friendly audience and marked ability at doing it. Even the professional critics finds it hard to object to his giving his audience great and genuine pleasure by singing music that is not in any sense of the word classical.”

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