The Inspire interview: The Accidental Tenor

Three years ago, Andrew Gavin decided to “take the plunge” and pursue a singing career. At just 22 years of age, and having graduated from Trinity College with a masters in philosophy in children’s literature, he decided to follow his talent, and he hasn’t looked back since.
Two months ago, he was named as one of two recipients of the PWC/Wexford Festival Opera Emerging Young Artist Bursary 2016, and in March is embarking on a tour with the Opera Theatre Company, playing the role of Damon in ‘Acis & Galatea’, which will bring him back to Navan for a performance in his hometown.
It was in Navan about a decade ago that he first got the bug for singing, while attending St Patrick’s Classical School.
“I started singing in about third year,” he says. “I was about 15 years of age, and St Pat’s was staging a joint musical with Loreto convent, a production of ‘Guys and Dolls’,” the Proudstown native, who is son of Benny and the late Joan (Crosby) Gavin, explains.
“I was in transition year the following year, and we did ‘Les Miserables’.”
Already studying piano with Shane Franklin at Ceolscoil na Mi in Navan, Andrew decided to look at voice training, and signed up as a part time student at the Royal Irish Academy , training with Kathleen Tynan.
“I just tipped away at it, while finishing fifth and sixth year at school. I wasn’t considering pursuing it as a career, it was more for fun, something I was interested in and enjoyed.”
At the same time, he was a member of St Mary’s Parish Choir. On finishing secondary school, he went to Maynooth University to study English literature, and on completion of that, went on to Trinity where he received his masters, then intending to pursue a philosophy doctorate.
However, the lure of performing was beginning to take hold. Andrew was now singing with the Palestrina Choir in the Pro-Cathedral, in his “first paid singing job” with Blathnaid Murphy, and was learning a great deal of vital musicianship, reading and such, knowledge which is now his bread and butter.
It was also with the Palestrina that he had his first solo experiences, in oratorias by composers such as Handel and Bach.
“It was at this stage I decided ‘I want to do this’,” he says.
A two-year full time course was available at the Royal Irish Academy, and he decided to take that up, continuing with Kathleen Tynan, of whom Andrew is also full of praise. He expanded his repertoire immensely, exploring and learning more.
“I had two main roles, the title role in ‘Ormindo’ and Tamino in ‘The Magic Flute’, which I enjoyed,” he adds.
In second year, he switched teachers, to Mary Brennan, ‘another incredible teacher’ who he says is a real inspiration. He completed his masters in music performance at the RIAM, achieving first class honours.
In 2016, Andrew won the O’Mara Cup, the Plunket Greene Cup, and the Rathmines and Rathgar Cup at the ESB Feis Ceoil, and the previous year, the William T Watt trophy for tenor solo.
2016 was a busy year for him, with roles at the Kilkenny Arts Festival and the world famous Wexford Festival Opera, as well as making his debut at Wigmore Hall in London as part of the 'Irish Culture in Britain’ celebrations.
He performed Arbace in a concert performance of Mozart’s ‘Idomeneo’ in Kilkenny, and made his debut with Wexford Festival Opera in the choruses of no less than three operas, the ShortWorks production of ‘Il Campanello’ by Donizetti and two evening operas, ‘Herculanum’ by David and ‘Vanessa’ by Barber.
“There were eight weeks of intense work and preparations for that,” Andrew explains. It was his first time singing in an international context – for two weeks, Wexford becomes the focus of worldwide opera.
“It was a great experience and I met wonderful people and made new friends, and was great to be part of it at home in Ireland.”
Only five of the singers in the chorus were Irish with a lot of English taking part.
In the run up to Christmas, Andrew was busy with performances of Handel’s ‘Messiah’ around Dublin, as well as in Wexford Opera House and Armagh Cathedral, and is preparing for his upcoming role as Damon in ‘Acis & Galatea’.
“You prepare as far in advance as you can for a role, you have to let it settle down into your bones,” he says. Technique has to be practicised safely and correctly, and languages have to be accurate. Warming up before singing, not over practicising, and not singing too much, are vital. If the opera is in a foreign language, Andrew will sit down with the score and study the translation.
“And the body is the instrument, so you have to protect it. Avoiding loud pubs, and shouting, and keeping warm and exercising are vital. Your voice is not like a musical instrument that you can pack away in a case,” he says.
“It is important to be able to switch off as well, which can be hard, particularly during the run of a show.”
One of Handel’s most treasured works, Acis and Galatea is a high point of baroque repertoire, written in 1717. It is a tale of the love between Galatea and Acis. Their joy and passion for each other is established through lyrical arias and joyous ensembles. But things become darker with the arrival of Polyphemus, who is determined to have Galatea for himself. Acis ignores the warnings that love is a fleeting pleasure and ends up facing the wrath of Polyphemus.

With baroque specialist Peter Whelan as music director, Acis and Galatea is accompanied by the Irish Baroque Orchestra and features tenor Eamonn Mulhall and soprano Susanna Fairbairn as the thwarted lovers, with bass baritone Edward Grint as Polyphemus. Meath music and opera lovers will have a chance to see it in the Solstice Arts Centre on Thursday 13th April.

He will be singing the role of the Evangelist in Bach's St John Passion at St Mary's Pro-Cathedral just before Easter, and the role of the Evangelist in Mendelssohn's 2nd Symphony 'Lobgesang' in the National Concert Hall on Sunday 23rd April, and in the Ulster Hall in Belfast on Saturday 6th May.