Henk Poort is the only performer who has ever sang Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence” to perfection. By drawing more from the Disturbed cover than the folky original, the Dutch opera singer proved he can rock out with the best of them.
On his debut on the Dutch TV show Beste Zangers, Poort started the song with a gorgeous string arrangement and a regal, sensitive voice. Poort let loose as the song went on, singing in a shrill rock style until transforming into a husky heavy metal monster that the hosts couldn’t get enough of. With over 10 million views, his rendition of the folk hit from 1964 is among the most popular covers on YouTube.
Commenters argued over who had the superior rendition of the song: Poort’s, Disturbed’s popular cover, or the original by Simon and Garfunkel. Comments like “Unpopular Opinion” from several fans attest to Poort’s credibility. I prefer this than the original… Both “Best version of this song I’ve heard” and “I think Henk just has that haunting strength behind his voice” were attributed to Henk.
Among Poort’s many successful cover albums for Beste Zangers is a raging cover of “The Phantom of the Opera” with Nightwish vocalist Floor Jansen. Wow, that is quite an impressive voice range. Poort matches Jansen note for note on the Andrew Lloyd Webber classic, which the house band arranged in a dramatic power metal style; Jansen has just finished an impressive first verse.
The 68-year-old Dutch actor and vocalist Poort is well-known for his roles in musicals and operas. His acting credits include roles as Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera (Dutch version), Jean Valjean in Les Misérables (Dutch version), and Gaston in Beauty and the Beast (Disney animated picture) (Dutch edition).
With the help of Nightwish vocalist Floor Jansen, Poort covered “The Phantom of the Opera” and the video went viral, garnering 24 million views. Due to its immense popularity, Nightwish included Poort as a guest vocalist in 2022, when they performed the song live for the first time in 17 years. The duet was recorded at Amsterdam’s Ziggo Dome by professionals and published the following year by the band.
