Sporting a classic Aran Sweater and a smile a mile wide, vocalist George Hutton is the epitome of Irish charm.

“And I’ve my cuppa tea, so I’m good-to-go,” shares the 37-year-old over a Zoom call with Celtic Life International from his home in Derry, Northern Ireland. “There are very few things in life that you cannot handle with a good cup of tea.”

Born and raised on the Emerald Isle, Hutton comes by love of the leaves honestly.

“I’m from Derry. My mother was from Creggan Heights, and my dad was from the Bogside. In the 1970s they lived on Blucher Street, which is sort-of between those two areas. And the stories that they would tell about the trials and tribulations that they went through during The Troubles were just horrific.”

In 1978, Hutton’s father moved the family to the periphery of the city.

“I was very fortunate to grow up in mixed area. As a youngster, my two best friends were a boy whose family were from India and another boy who was a Protestant. I was blessed because my parents never tried to drill a point of view into me or my siblings. They always believed in kindness – do unto others as you would do unto yourself – just really good values.”

And, as it turned out, really good music.

“It was an interesting mix – on the one hand, my mother was a big fan of opera and of Maria Callas in particular, while on the other hand I was immersed in folk music and exposed at a very young age to the sounds of Luke Kelly and the Dubliners, Paul Brady, Planxty, Christy Moore. And Phil Coulter had a huge influence on me. Honestly, I didn’t really understand much about how these singers did what they did…I just loved listening and singing along.”

After attending music sessions at neighbourhood pubs, Hutton started taking vocal lessons from singer/songwriter Eoin O’Callaghan (AKA Best Boy Grip). He also joined a local choir.

“My parents were always supportive of my love for music and singing, but they were also adamant that I pursue a proper education as well.”

After graduating from St Columb’s College in Derry, Hutton studied Ancient and Modern History at Queen’s University in Belfast.

“Going to Queen’s was probably one of the proudest moments of my life. I often wondered why it meant so much to my mother, but very few young Catholic Derry men went to Queen’s when she was growing up – the list consisted of Seamus Heaney, John Hume, and Phil Coulter. My brother, Christopher, was there at the same time also, and mum cried when she witnessed her two youngest graduate on the same day.”

Music, however, followed Hutton wherever he went, and it wasn’t long before his training and natural tone opened doors of opportunity.

Invited to join the longstanding Celtic classical-crossover vocal group ANÚNA, Hutton recorded two albums with the band (Illuminations, 2014, and Revelations, 2015). Also in 2015, he recorded the song “My Beautiful” which topped the Easy Listening charts in the U.K., Ireland and Canada. He has since released solo albums, sold out shows around the world and has shared the stage with the likes of Irish megastar Hozier, Academy Award/Grammy winning songwriter Glen Hansard, and his early hero, Phil Coulter.

“Touring with Phil for five years was a dream come true. He’s an incredible musician, and a real gentleman. Watching him on the road – the way he carried himself both on and off the stage – really helped me take my game to the next level. It was like taking a masterclass in performance. I learned so much from him musically – how to say more with less, listening to the spaces between the notes – all of the subtleties of the craft that would have taken me a lifetime to learn.”

Soon after, Hutton got a call from The Celtic Tenors.

“So, there’s a bit of a story about how this all happened. Two years ago, I took part in a Caribbean cruise that featured the Tenors and Phil and a few other artists. I didn’t realize it at the time, but it was in some ways an audition of sorts.

“And then Matthew (Gilsenan, co-founder) contacted me and said, ‘Look, there are four names in the running and you’re one of them’. Of course, I was delighted, but at the time I was shooting a movie with Hugh Jackman. Believe it or not I was Hugh’s body and photo double for a movie called The Death of Robin Hood, which comes out next year. And so, I was pretty much working with him every day. And because he is an absolute gentleman, he would ask me about my life and my career. One day we were walking along the coast in Ballycastle in Antrim, having just wrapped a scene, and I told him about The Celtic Tenors situation and how much I wanted the gig and so forth. It was a very surreal moment, actually, looking back on it. And you know what Hugh does? He sends Matthew a video, saying ‘Matthew – Hugh Jackman here – I’m not sure if you know me, but I want you to know that I think George is a legend and you better give him the bit or I’m going to find you, I’m going to hunt you down.’ – I mean, who’s going to mess with Wolverine, right? And then, lo and behold, I got the part.”

So far, the transition into The Celtic Tenor family has been seamless and smooth.

“When James (Nelson) left after having been with the group for 25 years I was a little nervous about trying to fill those big shoes. He’s an absolutely fantastic singer with a background in classical music. And while I am also classically trained, I bring more of a folk tradition into the mix – maybe more of a crossover sound. It’s taken a while to find my footing – my own voice – and discover what I can add to the group that is unique and won’t take away from what has been there for the last quarter century. I cannot pretend to be a singer that I’m not. I’ve never tried to simply copy a song. If you give me a song to learn, I’m not just going to emulate someone else’s interpretation – I’m going to find out where it came from, who wrote it, why they wrote it, and then add something within me that is distinctly different.

“Thankfully, Matthew and Daryl (Simpson) have both been incredibly supportive and I think they are excited with the new direction.”

That new direction will take center stage over the coming months as the band tours North America.

“I love Canada – the landscape is incredible, and the people are always so welcoming and warm, which is great because it gets quite cold over there at that time of the year! And Canada has excellent tea! If there’s one thing I can’t do without on tour, it’s a good cup of tea!”

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