Bertram Sings
I'm a teacher and I practice what I preach so...
It should come as no surprise that I love to sing and am at home on the stage.
I'm a highly experienced performer and am available for concert work, large or intimate gatherings, recitals, musical theater, and opera.
I’m a low bass and over the years I've done many solo recital, cantata, concert, opera, and musical theater performances and I've sung for various church denominations, and synagogues. I've taught and sung various other genres including the Great American Songbook, jazz, folk, country, and pop/rock songs.
I honestly love all music that's done well but I have to confess that my true love is Art Song. If you don't know what that is, that's ok because it's on the eclectic end of the music spectrum.
Art Song is poetry that has been set to music for voice and piano and composed by a variety of composers from the late 18th century to the present. Each song, or sometimes group of songs, is a little play about an experience or event, and what's most unique about art song is that the singer and pianist play an equal role in the storytelling. It isn't just about the singer.
Art Songs are not "high art" as if they're put on the pedestal of classical music, they're stories about the same things all songs are about; you know... relationships, love, loss, breaking up is hard to do, passion, joy, patriotism, happiness, faith, hate, anger, frustration, God, the devil... and the list goes on.
Performance of Art Song is often very formal and relegated to "recitals," which is great, but I prefer a less formal approach to engage the audience in a unique way. All songs are short stories about human experiences, and in my opinion, the formal recital form can lose touch with what's really going on with art song, so I call my "recitals" Art Song Tales which gets to the core of what art songs are: short stories told through musical theater. I sing in English, French, German, and Norwegian, and it's our job, the singer and pianist, to get the story across even if you don’t speak the language.
I'm available to provide that deep bass voice you're looking for or if you would like to book Art Song Tales performances you can contact me to make arrangements or get on my email list.
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