ANDREA BOCELLI PERFORMS FOR THE "WOUNDED EARTH'S PULSING HEART"
An incredible 3.4 million people tuned in to watch Italian tenor, Andrea Bocelli's perform at the deserted Duomo cathedral in Milan on Easter Sunday night (12th April 2020). Whilst no one could attend the concert in person due to coronavirus restrictions, fans around the world were able to watch the singer's 'Music for Hope' concert which was streamed live and sent a message of "love, healing and hope" to the rest of the world.
Milan's mayor Giuseppe Sala said he hoped the performance, which has been watched by more than 25 million people, would "be the embrace we are missing these days, a strong, special hug, capable of warming the heart of Milan, Italy and the world".
Accompanied by the cathedral's organist Emanuele Vianelli, Bocelli performed a selection of pieces including Ave Maria and Amazing Grace which he described as more of a "prayer" than a performance. Speaking ahead of his performance, he said he was "honoured" to perform for the city of Milan and the Italian people.
He said: "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. 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."
UN's patron of the Oceans, Lewis Pugh tweeted, "Bocelli's Amazing Grace has everything we need to know in this moment. We are lost. We are blind. We now see we need to take care of our planet which has loved and nurtured us."