|
SEPTEMBER 2005
Boy soprano releases second album
SUSAN
FISH
Special to ChristianCurrent September 2005
AYR, ON- Few 14-year-olds have produced a
professional album or been guest soloist in concerts across Canada and England as Timothy Lanigan has.
Lanigan, a boy soprano, released his second CD, Evening and Morning: the
Sixth Day in August at a Cambridge concert. This CD includes a
commissioned work by Guelph composer Barrie Cabena and features the talents of some of the finest
southwestern Ontario musicians: Classical guitarist
Kevin Ramessar, pianist Todd Yaniw,
French horn player Tony Snyder and counter tenor Daniel Cabena.
The
Lanigan family of Ayr, Ontario is large and musical. One of Lanigan's brothers is a drummer in a Christian rock
band, another sings in a gospel quartet, two sisters
sing in a quartet, their father leads music and their mother sings in a
church choir. Lanigan's five years in the
Cambridge Kiwanis Boys Choir exposed him to the high church and classical
music he loves; he lists Charlotte Church and Josh Groban
among his musical influences.
"Not
only does Tim have a clear warm voice, characteristic of boy sopranos, but
he has a sense of musicianship and musical phrasing far beyond his
years," says vocal coach and Cambridge Kiwanis Boy’s vocal instructor
Eric Dewdney. "This is particularly felt when he's singing sacred
songs where his strong Christian faith seems to add even more depth to his
music.”
As a
guest soloist in the recent Lord of the Rings Symphony in Toronto and Kitchener, Lanigan missed only one day of
school. Christ Lutheran School provided the foundation for Lanigan's musical career, with mandatory piano lessons
for Grade 2 students.
Lanigan
discovered his love of singing as a soloist in a school performance in
Grade 3. Other students at his school know music "is my thing"
Lanigan says, but he doesn't talk about singing with his peers.
Doug
Kranz, headmaster of Christ Lutheran School, says “Tim has...a deep
humility about his accomplishments that endears him to his classmates. His
school celebrates his accomplishments and is enormously proud to number him
among the student body."
Lanigan's career as a boy soprano will likely be of short
duration: he nearly lost a role as a guest soloist due to the director's
fears that his voice would change before the performance. A year later, his
voice continues to ring high and clear. Lanigan hopes to pursue a career in
music, depending on his adult voice.
Though
his voice has been described as "like a lark" by Earl McCluskie,
whose Chestnut Hall Music produced Lanigan's CD,
Lanigan holds his talent lightly.
“God’s
my greatest encouragement,” he says.
“He gave me a voice and he can take it away any time He wants. He has given me all these opportunities,
so why not use them for His glory.”
Copies
of Lanigan’s CD are available through classical
music and Christian stores, as well as through www.timothylanigan.com.
–Kelly
Rempel
|
