Andrea Bocelli and “The Prayer”

I am not what you might call a real “fan” of classical music. However, I am a great fan of Andrea Bocelli. If you’ve never heard of him, you are missing the pure tenor voice of an angel that crosses from opera to pop music and all styles in between.

Bocelli was born and raised in Italy. Early in his life he developed a love of music, often bringing audiences to tears with the beauty of his voice. However, as many of us do, he succumbed to family and societal pressures and went to college and then law school. He had a short career practicing defense law, while continuing to practice his passion for music in local piano bars.

Fortunately for us, the pull of music was stronger than the pull of the courtroom. He came to the attention of, and was then tutored by, many of the classical maestros in the early 90s. In 1999, he won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist. For the next three years, he held the number one spot on the classical music charts, at one point even holding the top three spots simultaneously. He has since released several more albums, but his most famous song remains the crossover hit, “The Prayer,” the Golden Globe winning theme from the movie, “Quest for Camelot.” To get a taste of Bocelli’s talent, click here to watch and listen as Bocelli sings this song. The simple, yet beautiful, lyrics are at the end of this post.

Bocelli states on his website,

“What I crave most, what I hope to achieve, is to communicate with the listener; to touch them in the same way I was touched as a child by my favorite singers, who made me cry and made me dream.”

What is no where to be found on his website is that Andrea Bocelli is blind. He was born with congenital glaucoma. He lost his sight completely after a football accident at the age of twelve. However, he did not let this tragedy stop him. He could have withdrawn into bitterness and anger and most people would have understood. Instead, he continued to follow his passion and blossom. Perhaps his blindness opened his eyes to the depth of his soul. How blessed we are that he chose to be fully present to his talent and his music; sharing that gift with all of us.

I pray you’ll be our eyes,
And watch us where we go
And help us to be wise
In times when we don’t know

Let this be our prayer,
As we go our way
Lead us to a place,
Guide us with your grace
To a place where we’ll be safe

I pray we’ll find your light
And hold it in our hearts
When stars go out each night
Remind us where you are

Let this be our prayer,
When shadows fill our day
Lead us to a place,
Guide us with your grace
To a place where we’ll be safe

A world where pain and sorrow will be ended
And every heart that’s broken will be mended
And we’ll remember we are all God’s children
Reaching out to touch you
Reaching to the sky

We ask that life be kind
And watch us from above
We hope each soul will find
Another soul to love

Let this be our prayer,
Just like every child
Need to find a place,
Guide us with your grace
Give us faith so we’ll be safe

Need to find a place,
Guide us with your grace
Give us faith so we’ll be
Safe…

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Tags: Culture, Fully Present, Life

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