Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli got back together to sing “The Prayer” in a huge collab with Lady Gaga, John Legend and Lang Lang joining in! The video was made for the Together at Home benefit concert and pits four of the world’s premier vocal talents together with Lang Lang’s beautiful piano playing.
Dion opens the song, singing flawlessly, of course, followed by Lady Gaga, who sings remarkably well in a classical style. Her ability to sing so naturally in a style she does not typically do really shows off the depth of her talent as a vocalist. The video has been viewed 9.1 million times and you can watch it below.
Legend and then Bocelli drop in next before we’re treated to the iconic duet chorus by Dion and Bocelli. The innovative Chinese piano virtuoso Lang Lang is in fine form here, treating us to a nuanced and creative interpretation of the song on piano, as opposed to the synthesized arrangement in the original recording.
Fans loved to hear the classic song re-recorded in such stunning style, adding comments such as “Celine’s voice still shines bright up there. Her tone is one in a million and still has an amazing resonance and control,” and “How do you NOT get choked up and/or teary-eyed while listening to such great singers and musicians?” You can listen to a beautiful live version of the song in Central Park by Dion and Bocelli below.
The five-way collab version of “The Prayer” was recorded for the One World: Together at Home benefit concert, which was organized by New York City organization Global Citizen and curated by Lady Gaga. The six-hour show featured a laundry list of top-flight celebs and was organized to promote social distancing and staying together at home at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The Prayer” was a natural fit for this event, with its lyrics addressing a prayer for peace and guidance. The song was originally recorded for the 1998 film Quest for Camelot in two solo versions by Dion and Bocelli, in English and Italian respectively. The most enduring version of the song was the duet version with both singers appearing, which has inspired many cover versions as well as being a show-stopping live setlist inclusion for both artists.
The initial release of “The Prayer” was a modest commercial success, charting at number one on the US Classical Digital chart and peaking at number six on the Canadian Adult Contemporary chart. The song was critically lauded however, with Billboard calling it “a breathtaking, ultra-lush song, and the tour de force combination of Dion and Bocelli which will send a half-dozen chills up your spine”.
“The Prayer” won the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song, as well as picking up Academy Award and Grammy Award nominations. Due to its theme and emotional impact, the song has remained relevant over the years for weddings, Christmas celebrations, religious services and funerals. If you would like to see more from Celine Dion, you can subscribe to her YouTube channel. You can also visit her official website for more information.