Andrea Bocelli Duet Performance Of 'Amazing Grace' With Alison Krauss Is Stunning

Nov 25, 2020 by apost team

Singer Andrea Bocelli collaborated with Alison Krauss for a rendition of the hymn Amazing Grace. The official music video was released on Bocelli’s YouTube channel on November 13th.

2020 has been hard on all of us. When times are hard, people often look to art and spirituality for solace and comfort. Amazing Grace is without a doubt the most famous hymn there is and Andrea Bocelli is one of the greatest opera singers of our time. What happens when you put the two together with Alison Krauss, the top Grammy-award winning female artist? Well, see for yourself.

The story behind one of the most beloved hymns of the last two centuries is one that has not been told enough. According to Biography, the song is estimated to be performed a whopping 10 million times a year. It rose to prominence during the Civil War and the Vietnam War, two of the United States’ greatest crises. Besides Andrea Bocelli, other well-known artists who have recorded the song include Elvis, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Aretha Franklin, and Ray Charles.

John Newton, the man who wrote the song, was a former slave trader. Understanding the story of the Englishman’s life and the journey that led him to eventually pen down the hymn will help us to appreciate the depth of its lyrics and God’s truly amazing grace.

According to the Oregon Catholic Press, Newton had a troubled childhood. He grew up fighting against all the authoritative figures in his life and when he was in his twenties, even attempted to desert the Royal Navy. He was then abandoned by his crew in West Africa where he had no choice but to be a servant to a slave trader. He was returning to England after he was rescued when a violent storm struck and nearly capsized the ship. Newton cried out to God to save them, and sure enough, they were safe, and thus began his journey of faith.

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But he did not devote his life to the service of God until much later. Upon Newton’s return, he became a slave ship master who brought slaves from Africa to England. He had even admitted to treating the slaves badly. After falling critically ill on a sea voyage in 1754, Newton forsook his life as a slave trader and in 1764 became ordained as an Anglican priest. He wrote about 280 hymns altogether, one of which being Amazing Grace. The hymn first appeared in Olney Hymns that was printed by Newton and William Cowper, also a writer. In 1835, the song was set to the famous tune of New Britain by William Walker. Newton would go on to help abolish the African slave trade by fighting alongside William Wilberforce, the leader of the parliamentary campaign. Before Newton died, the Slave Trade Act of 1807 was passed in Great Britain.

Andrea Bocelli is set to perform another virtual concert amid the current pandemic, says Deseret News. His livestream Easter concert back in April broke records after his rendition of Amazing Grace garnered 28 million views worldwide in less than 24 hours.

“I will never forget the moment I was alone in that huge (cathedral) square, to sing for so many people so far away,” Bocelli said to USA Today. “My goal was to pray for the world, for my family and for me.” Bocelli sang Amazing Grace for the final song, unaccompanied. He was seen standing on the steps of Milan Cathedral and said that “the loneliness was a sort of mirage.”

“There were really millions of us there, interconnected through music,” said the singer. “And I gave my voice to both their prayer and my own.”

Bocelli contracted COVID-19 back in March but has since recovered. He joined Lady Gaga’s “One World: Together at Home” one week after his Easter recital and raised nearly $128 million for COVID-19 relief.

His holiday recital “Believe in Christmas,” will happen on December 12th. “The concept behind ‘Believe’ is based on three words: faith, hope, and charity,” Bocelli said. “These are the three theological virtues of Christianity, yet — quite independently of any religious belief — they are also the three extraordinary keys to giving meaning and completeness to the lives of every one of us.”

Bocelli has given fans a taste of the concert with his newly-released music video of Amazing Grace featuring country-bluegrass star Allison Krauss. In the video, the two singers are seen recording the songs in different studios remotely. “In compliance with local health precautions, we opted to record the songs separately: Cecilia [Bartoli] in Monte Carlo and Alison [Krauss] in Nashville,”  Bocelli told Express.co.uk in October. Check it out for yourself in the video below and be blessed!

What do you think of this duet? If it touched your heart, be sure to pass it along to the next person.