Many singers have tried their hands at the Simon and Garfunkel classic “The Sound of Silence”, but no one has done it quite like Henk Poort. The Dutch opera singer showed he can rock with the best of them with his version, which took more inspiration from the Disturbed version rather than the folky original.
During his appearance on the Dutch TV show Beste Zangers, Poort began the song with a stately and delicate vocal set to a beautiful string arrangement. As the song progressed, Poort opened the floodgates, first singing in a strident rock style, then progressing to a husky heavy metal roar that had the hosts just eating it up. His cover is one of the most popular versions of the 1964 folk classic on YouTube, having been viewed 10 million times.
Fans debated in the comments about which was the best version of the song, be it the Simon and Garfunkel original, the hit cover by Disturbed, or Poort’s version. Plenty of fans vouched for Poort, adding comments such as “Unpopular Opinion. This is far better than the original… I think Henk just has that haunting strength behind his voice” and “Best version of this song I’ve heard.”
Poort has recorded several popular covers for Beste Zangers, with another being his fiery version of “The Phantom Of The Opera” with Nightwish singer Floor Jansen. Boy, talk about some vocal firepower. Jansen just comes out of the gate swinging with a stunning opening verse, but Poort matches her note-for-note on the Andrew Lloyd Webber classic, which the house band provided a dramatic power metal arrangement for.
Poort is a 68-year-old actor and singer from Amsterdam, who is known for performing operas and musicals. He played the Phantom in the Dutch version of The Phantom Of The Opera, Jean Valjean in the first Dutch version of Les Misérables, and provided Gaston’s vocals in the Dutch edition of Disney’s animated film, Beauty and the Beast.
Poort’s cover of “The Phantom Of The Opera” with Nightwish singer Floor Jansen attracted 24 million views on YouTube. It was so popular that in 2022, Nightwish brought the song back into their live set for the first time in 17 years, and featured Poort as a guest vocalist. The band professionally shot this duet at the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam and released it the following year.
For an unforgettable and powerful take on the classic “The Sound of Silence,” check out Henk Poort. His rendition has captivated millions on platforms like YouTube. You can follow him and his extraordinary vocal talents on his Facebook and Instagram pages. Get ready to experience music like you never have before.
