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HOME TOWN BOY IS INTERNATIONAL OPERA STAR
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When Bruce Reed was still in school here in Clifton Springs, people were aware that he had a powerful instrument in his voice. But no one would have believed, at that time, that he would become not only world-famous, but a beloved person and character in an elite group of world-class performers.
Marilynn Frost, a retired English teacher from Clifton Springs and the Midlakes School District remembers Bruce Reed's wonderful voice. Her first thought was of Bruce as Billy Bigalow in the musical Carousel, and the wonderful performance he gave in that character. Miss Frost was also greatly impressed by his ability to learn music in foreign languages and then perform them as if he'd spoken the languages all his life. Another role that came to mind was Bruce Reed as Marcellus in The Music Man, when another local talent, our own Clifton Springs Postmaster, Charley Morphy, played Harold Hill, with the female leads played by Chris Larson and Chris Linsner.
When Bruce originally asked to study with Mrs. Kamm, her schedule was too full to accept him as a student. But Mrs. Kamm didn't want Bruce to go another full year before she was able to take him on as a student, so he began his vocal training with Rev. Al Kamm. Rev. Kamm took him to both the Spa Chapel and the Clifton Springs Sanitarium Chapel for that first year of study.
Mr. Reed studied with Catherine Kamm for several years before going on to The New England Conservatory and was a popular singer in the Finger Lakes area, performing for weddings, oratorios, and concerts. He continued to return to the area over the years, even as a professional operatic star, to give back to the community he grew up in.
Rev. Kamm calls Bruce Reed a highly dedicated artist, whose performance makes that so very obvious. He recalls that the first big break was when the New York City Opera was doing performances of The Merry Widow, and both the leading soprano and the leading tenor were unable to perform. Mega-star Beverly Sills was asked to fill the role of the lead soprano, and the opera company suggested Bruce Reed as a replacement for the tenor lead. The result was a huge success. The New York Times review was not just favorable, but was a rave review. The "fill-in" role gave Mr. Reed the name and opportunity to become a full time member of the New York City Opera Company, where he stayed for the next eight seasons, working with, and then for, the great Beverly Sills.
Rev. Kamm remembers a definitive moment when both he and Mrs. Kamm came to realize how the then young Bruce felt about himself and singing. Bruce had a cold was to
perform for a Republican Convention. When Mrs. Kamm asked him how he felt about singing, his response was that he didn't believe the cold would make any difference. The voice seems to be free. In discussing this, it became obvious that he found he and his voice were separate. His voice was a gift from God, and was also a gift to God. It would seem that faith, dedication, and hard work have given Mr. Reed much more than anyone dreamed possible when he first started his journey into the world of performing
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