Dutch vocal group Frommermann is named after Harry Frommermann, who in 1927 founded the Comedian Harmonists. This German ensemble, comprised of five singers and a pianist, was a huge sensation in the late 1920s and early 1930s. The Comedian Harmonists were renowned for their broad variety of vocal styles and the fine sense of humour with which they performed close harmony music. Within a short period of time they became international celebrities, performing throughout Europe and the United States. In 1935 the Nazis forced the Comedian Harmonists to disband, thus silencing them forever. In December 2004, at the request of the Grachtenfestival Amsterdam, tenor Marcel Reijans brought together a group of fellow singers and a pianist who shared his love for the music of the Comedian Harmonists. With this group, each of its members busy with (inter)national singing careers, ‘Broken Silence’ was created, a theatre programme paying tribute to the Comedian Harmonists. Under the direction of renowned Dutch actor Peter Blok, Frommermann broke the silence that had been imposed on the Comedian Harmonists and gave their music a new voice in the Netherlands.
