THE BERNIE SCHMIDT SINGERS

Formed in 1963, The Bernie Schmidt Singers are a group of men and women committed to performing the best of secular and religious vocal music, both old and new.  Brought together by director Bernie Schmidt, the singers come from a wide variety of professional and musical backgrounds, sharing a common bond forged by their love of vocal music and their desire to excell in its performance. None of The Singers earns a living with music. They are teachers,  engineers, administrative assistants, health-care professionals, attornies, business managers, postal workers -- in short, they are just like their fans, a mixture of many types people who really love music.  The Singers have developed a style of presentation that some describe as "intimate" and "lush".  The tightness of their blend and the crispness of their delivery make their  interpretations unique among vocal groups.  They "get inside of the lyrics" and tell the story the songwriter intended the listener to hear.  It is this style that has made The Bernie Schmidt Singers the premier vocal performance group in Central New York. The group's performing credits are many and varied, including appearances before regional and national conventions, for the City of Syracuse, with the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, and for the New York State Fair. In addition, The Singers have added their musical enhancement to the celebration of many weddings, anniversaries and other special events throughout Central New York. For their first album, Remembering . . . Time Of Wonder, Time Of Joy, the singers chose some of their favorite songs from the 23 years during which they were the featured performers on "Time of Wonder, Time of Joy", the Christmas specials produced annually by WTVH-TV5 in Syracuse, NY.  That show became the most-watched locally produced seasonal program in Central New York, providing the sights and sounds of Christmas for thousands of parents and children.  Having sung more than 100 songs on these programs, it was hard to select those that best represented the sounds of Christmas that became so important to thousands of Central New Yorkers. The release of that first album was a resounding success and produced a complete sell-out of the first CD pressing.  It also earned the Singers invitations to perform in locations as far-reaching as Sacremento, California and Boston, Massachusetts. The Singers' second album, With All Our Love, was released in November of 1998.  Selecting the songs for that album was even more difficult.  Over the 35 years they have been performing, the Singers have sung more than 200 songs of love.  Some were traditional songs about the love between a man and a woman. Others dealt with the love between friends, the love between parents and children and even the love of a patriot for the land they call "home".  The Singers selected songs they hope will represent the wide variety of love we all experience in our own lives. Recently, the Singers released their third album, Hear us, Lord! Intended as a commemoration of the 2000th anniversary of the birth of Christ, it is filled with a wide variety of songs of faith and inspiration. Some are representative of earlier church music while others are examples of more recent treatments of Christian texts. The Singers believe there is something for every taste and Christian denomination. The songs have all been done with the love and care which the Singers have always tried to bring to their music. Please check out the Recordings page to learn more about each album and to hear sound clips. The Bernie Schmidt Singers are available to entertain for all types and sizes of events, at surprisingly affordable rates.  The Singers will prepare a 45- to 60-minute program specially designed to fit the audience and the occasion.  With a large repertoire of songs available, the singers can usually find something  to add the perfect entertainment with a "touch of class" to your wedding, convention, awards dinner, holiday party, anniversary celebration or nearly any other type of event. Simply contact the Singers by email, leaving your name and telephone number and the best time to reach you.