As most people are unable to gather for Easter Sunday as the coronavirus continues, Italian music icon Andrea Bocelli spread a message of hope to Italy and the world by performing a live concert.
Invited by the City and of the Duomo cathedral of Milan, Bocelli gave a solo performance titled “Andrea Bocelli: Music for Hope” in Italy that was live-streamed worldwide on YouTube. Prior to his performance, footage of the empty streets of Italy were shown as the singer’s voice could be overhead offering hope that the day will serve as a “universal symbol of rebirth,” amid the pandemic.
“On the day in which we celebrate the trust in a life that triumphs, I’m honored and happy to answer ‘Sì’ to the invitation of the City and the Duomo of Milan. I believe in the strength of praying together; I believe in the Christian Easter, a universal symbol of rebirth that everyone – whether they are believers or not – truly needs right now,” Bocelli said.
He continued: “Thanks to music, streamed live, bringing together millions of clasped hands everywhere in the world, we will hug this wounded Earth’s pulsing heart, this wonderful international forge that is reason for Italian pride. The generous, courageous, proactive Milan and the whole of Italy will be again, and very soon, a winning model, engine of a renaissance that we all hope for. It will be a joy to witness it, in the Duomo, during the Easter celebration which evokes the mystery of birth and rebirth.”
Dressed in a tux, Bocelli began his performance inside the Duomo cathedral of Milan where he performed “Panis Angelicus,” “Ave Maria,” “Sancta Maria” and “Domine Deus.”
He then finished his performance outside of the cathedral, as he sang John Newton’s “Amazing Grace,” with the empty streets of Italy around him.
