Watch Andrea Bocelli sing in empty Milan cathedral - Music For Hope

Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli performed a solo Easter concert from an empty Milan Cathedral streamed live to millions of people around the world in coronavirus lockdown.

The "Music for Hope" performance, which was streamed on YouTube from Milan's Duomo cathedral, has been watched more than 22 million times so far.

Accompanied by an organist, Bocelli sang four songs inside the magnificent Gothic building and ended with a rendition of "Amazing Grace" from the cathedral steps with a montage of images showing the empty streets of Paris, London and New York.

"On the day in which we celebrate the trust in a life that triumphs, I'm honoured and happy to answer 'Si' to the invitation of the City and the Duomo of Milan," the visually impaired star said in a message played before the short concert.

"Thanks to music, streamed live, bringing together millions of clasped hands everywhere in the world, we will hug this wounded Earth's pulsing heart," he said.

The Lombardy region, of which Milan is the capital, has been the hardest hit in Italy's coronavirus crisis, with more than 9,000 deaths.

"Andrea Bocelli is a true gift from God. This was beautiful and just what I needed to see and feel right now. Thank you Mr. Bocelli for sharing your gift of your voice and music with us," wrote YouTube viewer Peggy Young.

Churches in Italy remain closed and even prayers given by Pope Francis on Easter Sunday were livestreamed. 

© Agence France-Presse

VIDEO DESCRIPTION:

On Easter Sunday (April 12, 2020), by invitation of the City and of the Duomo cathedral of Milan, Italian global music icon Andrea Bocelli gave a solo performance representing a message of love, healing and hope to Italy and the world. Download the hymn sheet and sing along here: https://AndreaBocelli.lnk.to/Hymnsheet Track list: Panis Angelicus (from “Messe Solennelle” Op. 12, FWV 61) César Franck   Ave Maria, CG 89a (arr. from Johann Sebastian Bach, “Prelude” no. 1, BWV 846) Charles-François Gounod   Sancta Maria (arr. from “Cavalleria Rusticana”, Intermezzo) Pietro Mascagni   Domine Deus (from “Petite Messe Solennelle”) Gioachino Antonio Rossini Amazing Grace John Newton “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. 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” Andrea Bocelli Andrea Bocelli, with the Foundation that carries his name, is currently involved in an emergency COVID-19 campaign. The Andrea Bocelli Foundation (ABF) has started a fundraiser to help hospitals purchase all the instrumentation and equipment necessary to protect their medical staff. It is possible to donate through the GoFundMe campaign: https://www.gofundme.com/f/wk67wc-abf... Stay home and live stream this performance exclusively on YouTube. The event is 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. Production Groovy Gecko & Prince Production Producers: Francesco Uboldi, Filippo Sugar, Celine Joshua, Kade Speiser Strategy & Ops: Celine Joshua, Kade Speiser, Derek Torng Label names Decca Records (Rebecca Allen, Laura Monks, Sophie Hilton), Sugar Music (Filippo Sugar, Lorena Pizzi, Alessia Porcari). Management: Maverick (Francesco Pasquero, Scott Rodger) and Almud (Veronica Berti) Director: Chris Myhre Photography: Luca Rossetti Location Duomo di Milano Sound Audio Producer: Pierpaolo Guerrini Sound audio engineer: Andrea Taglia Creative director: Stefano Scozzese With thanks to: Giuseppe Sala: Mayor of Milan, Fedele Confaloniere: President of the Veneranda Fabbrica Del Duomo, Monisgnore Borgonovo: Archpriest of the Veneranda Fabbrica Del Duomo, Maverick, Almud. Follow Andrea Bocelli: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/andreabocelli/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/andreabocel... Twitter - https://twitter.com/AndreaBocelli/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/andreabocelli https://www.andreabocelli.com/ #AndreaBocelli #MusicForHope #StayHome #WithMe