Art Garfunkel: What a Wonderful Voice

By Jean-Marie Ebel

Art Garfunkel, one half of the acclaimed former duo Simon & Garfunkel, came to the Macauley Theatre on September 25 and released the beauty of his famous tenor voice for the rather small but faithful crowd gathered on a Sunday night.

Although most of the night featured the repertoire of hits that made Simon & Garfunkel one of the world's biggest groups during the 1960s, he also performed new material from Up 'Til Now, his first studio release in almost six years.

Garfunkel beautifully worked his way through classics such as "Homeward Bound," "Scarborough Fair/Canticle" ("Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme"), "Mrs. Robinson" and several others. The smash "Bridge Over Troubled Water" was delivered with the same emotional appeal that made it so well-loved more than two decades ago and earned it the evening's first standing ovation. His pristine voice lent "Sounds of Silence" an eerie loveliness.

In the intimate setting of the darkened theater, Garfunkel spoke of the breakup with his well-known partner Paul Simon, confiding to the crowd that "so many things went wrong, I don't know what happened." It was clear that Garfunkel had put behind him any bitterness that he may have once had, as he spoke "with obvious love and respect for Simon.

In one night, Garfunkel showed that the voice that earned an audience many years ago still lives on. For Garfunkel, the nuances that are often lost to others comes through with the sincerity and emotional depth that few singers possess.