Victor Akande
SINCE the coronavirus pandemic has stalled concerts, tours, festivals, promotional trips and studio sessions, live streaming is now being maximised like never before.
Only recently, John Legend played live as part of Chris Martin’s “Together at Home” series, featuring a guest appearance by his wife, Chrissy Teigen, wearing only a bath towel. Fans have had a different feel of James Blake who has, twice, taken to his piano to play fans’ favourites and unexpected covers.
This is just as Christine and the Queens are performing nightly in the luxurious Ferber Studios where she is working and living during France’s lockdown.
At Easter, virtual entertainment experienced one of the largest gatherings of its kind, when Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli gave the most extraordinary performance of his life.
There was no audience present in Milan’s iconic Duomo, but across the globe, people tuned in to witness his emotional performance, streamed live via YouTube, uniting the world at a time when many are apart, being isolated at home.
The unique performance, which offered an uplifting message of love, healing and hope through music, took place at the historic Duomo, the cathedral of Milan, Italy, by invitation of the City and of the cathedral, and thanks to the hospitality of the Archpriest and the Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo.
Bocelli’s performance has gone into the record books as drawing the biggest audience for a classical live stream in YouTube’s history, making him YouTube’s undisputed newest superstar. One is particularly thrilled that despite the global lockdown, the essence of Easter; a message of hope, was not defeated.
Bocelli’s Music For Hope — Live From Duomo di Milano – reached over 2.8 million peak concurrent viewers, generated more than 28 million views worldwide in its first 24 hours, and as of Tuesday morning had topped 35 million views. According to YouTube, even prior to the stream beginning, more than 1 million viewers were queued up in the waiting room.
Bocelli said of the event: “I will cherish the emotion of this unprecedented and profound experience, of this Holy Easter which this emergency has made painful, but at the same time even more fruitful, one that will stay among my dearest memories of all time.
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That feeling of being at the same time alone –as we all are in the presence of the Most High –yet of expressing the voice of the prayer of millions of voices, has deeply impressed and moved me. Love is a gift. Making it flow is the primary purpose of life itself.
And I find myself once again indebted to life. My gratitude goes to all those who made this possible, the City of Milan and the Curia, and to all those who accepted the invitation and joined in a planetary embrace, gathering that blessing from Heaven that gives us courage, trust, optimism, in the certainty of our faith.”
Accompanied only by the cathedral organist, Emanuele Vianelli, Bocelli sung a carefully chosen selection of pieces, specially arranged for solo voice and organ for the occasion.
This included the beloved Ave Maria setting by Bach/Gounod and Amazing Grace, opening completely unaccompanied–an incredibly poignant moment, in the still of a city under continued lockdown, alongside a stirring programme of sacred music for one of the holiest days of the year.
The event was promoted by the City of Milan and the Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo, produced by Sugar Music and Universal Music Group, thanks to the generous contribution of YouTube. Andrea Bocelli’s participation was entirely pro-bono (in collaboration with Almud and Maverick Management).
Bocelli, with the Foundation that carries his name, is currently involved in an emergency COVID-19 campaign. It was gathered that the Andrea Bocelli Foundation (ABF) has started a fundraiser to help hospitals purchase all the instruments and equipment necessary to protect their medical staff.
It is possible to donate through the GoFundMe campaign or by contacting the Andrea Bocelli Foundation, by writing to development@andreabocellifoundation.org
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