This article is from page 24 of the 2009-10-27 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 24 JPG
SINGER Vincent Di Placido fulfills a lifelong ambition this week with the release of his self-titled debut album.
The album launch takes place at the West County Hotel, Ennis tomorrow night (October 28) at 8pm. A lyric tenor, Vincent’s album sees him per- form songs that draw heavily on his Italian and Irish background.
Vincent’s mother, Nora, is origi- nally from Ennis while his father Vincenzo Snr hails from the Italian town of Cassino.
Cre abercam eno mBbemm erenDelelesncdemMAUye lots his family lived for a while, Vincent was surrounded my music.
“There was always music in the house. I remember listening to peo- ple like Frank Sinatra, Mario Lanza, really great singers,’ he says.
Vincent moved to Ennis in 1992. A keen singer from an early age, he started to perform with local singing groups like the Ennis Musical Soci- ety and the Cathedral Choir.
One of his most memorable mo- ments on stage occurred in 1994 when he performed solo at the ordi- nation of Bishop of Killaloe, Dr Wil- lie Walsh.
“IT was very lucky. I kept getting these really good parts with the musical society and the choir. I got to sing at the ordination of Willie Walsh. I was very lucky to get these opportunities,” he says.
Vincent continues, “I sang at peo- ple’s weddings as well. People were always very nice, saying that I should record that album. It’s very flattering to hear people say that, naturally I’d be a very shy kind of person. I had always wanted to record an album. It had been ongoing thing but it was
something I was always putting on the long finger. Last year I decided to bite the bullet, get some money to- gether and just do it.”
Vincent says that he also received great support for the project from his fiancé Aoife. The album was recorded in September 2008 at St Columba’s Church, Ennis and fea- tures contributions from local musi- cians including Nigel Bridge (piano), Maeve de Buitlér (harp). Vincent says the combination of the location and quality of the musicians really
enhanced the quality of the record- ing.
“The natural acoustics there were amazing. We recorded last Septem- ber. We got it done quite quickly. Initially we were just going in to test the recording but once we started we decided “why not do the whole thing’. The musicians were so good. They really cared about the process. It really shows what you can achieve with good musicians,” he says.
Vincent is also well known to peo- ple in Ennis from his job as manager
of the local branch of Xtra-Vision, Where he has worked since 1997. And though he says he’s not quite ready to give up the day job for a full time singing career, Vincent says he is proud to have finally finished the album.
“Tm proud of it. Organising the music, overseeing the production. It’s great to have done it,” says Vincent.