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Fri, Mar

Andrea Bocelli To Perform Live In An Empty Duomo Cathedral on Easter Sunday

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Italian opera singer, songwriter, and record producer Andrea Bocelli will live stream an Easter concert from on Sunday evening at the historic Duomo Cathedral in Milan, Italy.

Like most churches this Easter, the historic Duomo Cathedral in Milan will be closed to the public due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But over the empty pews on Sunday, the voice of famed opera singer Andrea Bocelli will echo through the cathedral during a special audience-free concert, which will be live-streamed exclusively on Bocelli’s YouTube channel.

Bocelli will be accompanied only by cathedral organist Emanuele Vianelli for the occasion which is set to take place at 6 p.m (1700 GMT). Sacred pieces slated for the setlist include “Ave Maria” and Mascagni’s “Sancta Maria.” 

In a statement released Tuesday, Bocelli said he hopes that the Easter concert will provide some comfort to viewers regardless of their religion.

“I believe in the strength of praying together,” Bocelli said in a statement. “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. 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.”

The city of Milan, the Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo, Sugar Music, Universal Music Group and YouTube have agreed to partner with the Italian. According to the Mayor of Milan, Giuseppe Sala “I am happy Andrea has accepted our invitation,” “This year, Easter will be very different for all of us. The joyous serenity that usually comes with this day has been greatly troubled by the pandemic we are experiencing. I am sure that the extraordinary voice of Bocelli will be the embrace we are missing these days, a strong, special hug, capable of warming the heart of Milan, Italy and the world.”

The stream will not be the Italian first attempt to help out during the coronavirus crisis, his foundation has raised more than $140,000 via GoFundMe to help hospitals purchase supplies. Aside from the concert and donations, He will also be part of Global Citizen's huge "One World: Together At Home" event on April 18. 

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