Josh Groban Stuns Audience With Touching Rendition Of Classic ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’

Mar 25, 2020 by apost team

Accompanied by Rock Choir and the BBC Concert Orchestra, Josh Groban covered Simon and Garfunkel’s Bridge Over Troubled Water at London’s Hyde Park in 2018 as part of BBC Radio 2's Last Night of the Proms Celebrations.

Classically trained and eminently experienced, the award-winning artist sang his heart out while playing the piano in his rendition of the classic 1970s protest-song. What separated Groban’s performance from the iconic and fairly stripped-down original was Groban’s maximalist interpretation. Whereas Simon and Garfunkel’s signature studio recording mostly highlights their vocals and the piano accompaniment, Groban was surrounded by other musicians, including an enormous live orchestra and choir.

The stage was so crowded with other musicians — not to mention the huge video screen in the background — that it almost looked as if someone might fall off the edge of the stage into the packed audience. But Groban proves that however difficult it might be to coordinate so many musicians and perform on such a crowded stage, it’s worth it.

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Groban’s performance is theatrical, grandiose — perfect for the concert’s Hyde Park venue. And since over 400 versions of Bridge Over Troubled Water have already been recorded over the song’s long five-decade history, according to Consequence of Sound, Groban does a good job of breathing new life into the oft reinterpreted track. And that’s high praise given that Groban has to compete with covers from music legends from across history like Nina Simone, Johnny Cash, and Aretha Franklin. 

But for those familiar with Groban’s work, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the 39-year-old musician was able to put his own spin on an already well-established hit, or that he has a talent for live performance. Early in his career, Groban made a name for himself with his cover of Secret Garden’s You Raise Me Up, which remained at the top of the adult contemporary charts for weeks in 2004, according to AllMusic. Following that success, Groban tried his hand at writing for film with his single Believe for the Polar Express soundtrack, which again spent weeks on the charts. But Groban’s talent is not limited to soundtrack writing and covering other musicians’ work — he also has a highly successful solo career of his own.

With his smooth, baritone voice and his ability to combine the classical with pop, Groban has made a name for himself as a leading vocalist both on and off the stage. According to AllMusic, his self-titled debut album, which came out in November 2001, went double platinum. Shortly thereafter, Groban also got his own PBS special and was invited to perform at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway. Suffice it to say that Groban has had an adventurous, successful career that has had him perform with greats from pop star Kelly Clarkson to jazz legend Herbie Hancock.

For fans of covers, and to see more of Groban’s talent for transforming other artist’s music into something of his own, it’s also worth checking out Stages, which features a collection of broadway musicals that Groban covered in 2015.

What do you think of Groban's rendition of Bridge Over Troubled Water? Let us know what you think, and pass this story on to all the Simon and Garfunkel fans you know.