Monmouth U welcomes Paul Byrom, a tenor for all seasons

(WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ) -– He's been called "The Swanky Tenor" — a vocal artist who emerged from a seemingly crowded field of Irish Tenors with a flair for the romantic that's caused hopelessly smitten fans to swoon, and a smooth style that owes as much in its way to Michael Buble as to the iconic John McCormack.

He could just as easily be branded "The Sporting Tenor;" an avid fan who's been seen and heard everywhere from the football field at Barcelona to a Six Nations rugby match in Dublin — and TD Garden in Boston, where he's become a fixture at Celtics basketball games.

When Paul Byrom takes the stage of the Pollak Theatre on the evening of Sunday, November 20, he'll be bringing the stuff that's allowed him to connect with audiences of all ages and backgrounds, in cities all over the planet, and in front of appreciative listeners that have included the President of Ireland, the Emperor of Japan, and the President of the United States.

Presented by the Center for the Arts at Monmouth University as part of the 2011-2012 Performing Arts Series, the 7 p.m. concert will mark the Dublin-based singer's sole New Jersey date in support of This is the Moment, the new album that keynotes Byrom's first U.S. tour as a solo headline performer.

Arranged by master bass player and "trusty right hand man" Joe Csibi, This is the Moment finds the tenor (who's put his stamp on songs by everyone from Charles Aznavour to the Moody Blues and U2) introducing new originals by some sought-after songwriters. The star characterizes the live show as "a mixed bag of music…(ranging) from the musical hits of Broadway, to well known favorites from Ireland," as well as "one or two classical crossover pieces" from the singer who made the Classical Billboard charts with his 2008 Christmas album.

Also promised are "one or two of my favorites from my time with Celtic Thunder" — the superstar vocal group of which Byrom was a breakout star from 2007 to November of 2010. The five solo singers, who had the honor of officially kicking off New York's Saint Patrick's Day Parade in 2009, found their greatest success here in the United States  — a fact that led to Byrom's decision to revisit his own solo performing career with a coast-to-coast stateside tour.

"Tickets are limited and hopefully will sell out quickly," asserts the singer in one of the frequently updated blog entries that he offers to fans with the lilting signature "Keep well My Loves, My Doves, My Eggs."

"Much like my Grannie's pies, once they are gone, they are gone!!"

To purchase tickets, or for additional information on the new Performing Arts season, please contact the Monmouth University Performing Arts Box Office at 732-263-6889, or online at www.monmouth.edu/arts.