A Celtic tale of love

He sings like a dream. She dances in gay abandon. Together they bring a fairy tale alive. Irish singer Gareth McGreevy and dancer Orla McIntyre, who are in the City as part of the Toccata Musical Productions, have been casting a spell on the audience. Much in love, the duo are enjoying their stay in Bangalore albeit the rehearsals and the travelling.

Gareth has always been on the stage, ever since he was a child. To be precise, the soloist began singing when he was barely five. Twenty years down the line, music has given him the chance not only to entertain people but also to express his emotions.

“The response to our shows here have been overwhelming, emotionally uplifting and enthralling. I don’t have enough words to describe how exciting it is to perform for an audience that is not only well-informed but appreciative as well. The warmth is like nothing we’ve got before,” he adds.

The nimble-footed Orla echoes his thoughts. “I have been doing Irish dance for the last 23 years, it’s a massive part of my life. When I had the opportunity to come to India, I jumped at the chance,” she smiles.

Orla, who hails from North Antrim, describes herself as ‘coming from a small village’.  “I have been doing Irish dance all my life and dancing with my cousins,” she recollects.

The dancing champion, who has been flipping and splitting on stage, says, “For the shows in Bangalore, we did the rehearsals in parts and then brought everything together. We used to practise for four hours a day.”

She explains how the dance routine with the hats were choreographed later and how everything came out well. “Together, all filled together, it was overwhelming.” The feedback from the audience have left her delighted.

Gareth, who took the audience down memory lane with ‘Country Roads’, points out that as a soloist it is important to give his voice enough rest and keep himself fit. “I sing a lot of Irish folk music. I have to play around with my voice, tones and words when I perform. It’s also about being lively on stage. I also draw a lot of energy from how the audience react to the music,” he says.  

Orla is excited about their trip to Mysore and looking forward to rest her heels for a while. “People are fantastic here but we haven’t got much chance to see the place though,” she adds.

Before they leave for Sri Lanka, she hopes to do some shopping as well. She admits how much she loves Indian food.

“It is fantastic and I eat everything,” she says. Before parting, Orla also jokes about her heavy Irish accent and admits how proud she is of it.  

The couple have been seeing each other for the last three years. “Orla performs to one of my songs. That makes it very special for the two of us. We first met on the sets of a TV show and that’s how it all began. She’s a brilliant dancer,” he observes. Ask them about when they plan to get married, and he laughs, “Oh, that’s a long way off. We haven’t really thought about that yet.”