In 2008, one of the greatest contemporary Italian tenors teamed up with an up-and-coming American singer. Both had operatic training, and despite the differences in their ages, they melded beautifully together.
They performed at Las Vegas’s Mandalay Bay Hotel, each complementing the other and combining the power of their voices. While Andrea Bocelli had been a successful recording artist for many years at that point, Katharine McPhee had only attained stardom after her 2006 run as a contestant on “American Idol.”
“The Prayer” is an excellent vehicle for their voices. Full of power and majesty, it is a plea for protection that can be applied to any number of situations, from a soldier going out into battle to a child going away to college. It is a benediction that can’t help but deeply move those who hear it, especially when performed by such accomplished singers.
There is particular power in having a singer in the full bloom of his career sing this song alongside a woman who is just getting started. It emphasizes the universality of this song. It also allows for some intriguing harmonization possibilities. Clearly those in the audience on that night were spellbound, and it’s still easy to get caught up in the magic simply by watching the video.