Grace Notes

Musician Profile: Eric Finbarr Carey

JO SHUTE

Eric Carey, tenor, will perform as The Evangelist in Upper Valley Baroque’s upcoming Bach’s St. John Passion. This key solo role narrates the story and requires intense preparation and virtuosity. It marks Eric’s 5th project with UVB.

JS: Have you sung the part of the Evangelist before?

EFC: Yes, I performed it last year with Bach-in-Baltimore. It had been on my “bucket list” for a long time. It’s an opportunity to narrate one of humanity’s great stories. The St. John Passion story is relevant today and is especially meaningful in this 300th year of its premier.

What are the challenges of this Evangelist role?

It requires both an air of solemnity and heightened emotional experience. The Evangelist needs to shepherd the story with conviction, with reverence for the text and Bach’s intentions. I have to try to “get into” the 1724 Bach, at 39 years old in his first year in Leipzig, making sure it's relevant to all of us in the audience today, and keeping in touch with the two-thousand-year-old story of the passion. It’s always a challenge to balance the percentages of how much the Evangelist is actually “involved” or rather how we perceive as readers of the story how much we are actually there in the moment, commenting after the fact, or being truly narrational. It’s a great problem to have, and one I’m very much looking forward to.

How do you prepare for a major solo role (this one in particular)?

I start with the text and the story, reading the English translation, then side-by-side German and English, then my own word-for-word translation, developing a poetic translation. Bach set the text incredibly well, so highlighting the genius of Bach without getting too much in the way is of utmost importance for me. To make an honest interpretation of the piece takes a lot of experimenting with delivery of text, time, and music. Well before the UVB rehearsals in May, I will meet with the continuo team and Filippo, and we will collaboratively work out specifics on volume, tempo, and pacing.

Have you ever been called on to “sub” for a soloist at the last minute? How did you “prepare”?

In 2022, I was to appear at Tanglewood’s BSO Chamber series in a program with seven double basses, harp, and tenor. We had rehearsed and were ready. Then five of the double bassists got COVID. The director called me and asked, “Could you put together a recital for this weekend?” I called a colleague, met the evening before and adjusted from a prior program, then did the recital the next day. The key to this kind of “step-in” situation is to be able to trust the people you’re with, be prepared, and stay flexible.

What genres/periods/styles of music do you most enjoy singing?

Whatever project is next! It’s important to me to be fully committed to a piece for me to be able to bring my whole self to the repertoire. A few favorite composers are Britten, Schubert, and Bach.

What else are you doing this year?

In April I’ll be in Leipzig, Germany, performing Stravinsky’s Pulcinella with the Gewandhaus Orchestra and a recital program from the Great American Songbook, a Bach Magnificat, and then the Rake’s Progress in the summer.

What are the elements of a truly great musical performance?

Assuming great repertoire (e.g. Bach), and of course being well-prepared, it’s seeing the clear passion and commitment to the piece by the performers. Bringing the audience in with you, so they feel like another performer. When it happens, the air changes; you can only get this experience in live performance.

How long have you been performing as a singer?

I started in 4th grade in a boys choir, but I thought singing was dumb and wanted to play sports instead. I stuck with it (though I did later quarterback my high school football team). The moment that set me on this course was in 7th grade, singing Mozart’s Requiem as a boy soprano soloist in the Lux Aeterna. Our choir director had kept the last bit for one of the boys to sing – I had auditioned for the part and spent two solid weeks standing in front of my boombox, listening to Emma Kirkby and singing it myself on repeat. I remember standing in front of the orchestra and feeling a whole community behind me with total support. That’s the day I got “bit by the bug.”

What are your other passions?

I love cooking and camping. I also collect vintage cast iron. I have one pan from the 1890s. It’s special to use something so old that’s still improving with age. (A parallel to classical music!)

Any other thoughts you’d like to share?

What makes me tick as an artist is collaborating. In UVBaroque’s Bach B minor Mass [May 2022], we had a great group of musicians and an immediate sense of community. Connection and collaboration – being in a room with people who share the same goal – this keeps me coming back! Performers have a responsibility to keep these amazing masterworks alive and to “evangelize” classical music.