Milan: Andrea Bocelli performs special Easter concert in empty Duomo cathedral

Italian Opera star Andrea Bocelli on April 12 performed a solo Easter concert that was live-streamed on YouTube for millions of people from across the globe. Andrea Bocelli performed the 'Music for Hope' in the empty hall of Milan's Duomo cathedral that was live-streamed and has been watched by over 23 million people so far. The video started with drone shots of empty streets in Italy and ended with a montage of images showing similar scenes from France, the United Kingdom and the United States.

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"On the day in which we celebrate the trust in life that triumphs, I'm honoured and happy to answer 'Si' 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," said Bocelli before starting the concert.  

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Bocelli sang four songs from the magnificent hall of the Duomo cathedral followed by an amazing grace from the steps of the cathedral. Bocelli was accompanied by an organist for the special Easter concert at Duomo. 

"As I sit here with tears running down my face, I cannot say enough the feeling I feel inside. To see the vacant streets where once were so many is heartbreaking and unnatural, to hear the angelic voice of Andrea Bocelli giving us hope is just what we needed. I find a little solace but still, my feelings are unsettled. I pray to God we will recover. God bless everyone and Andrea Bocelli for his words of hope," a user named Lillian Antoci commented on the live stream. 

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Coronavirus outbreak

The deadly coronavirus infection has claimed more than 1,14,000 lives across the world and has infected over 18,53,000 people globally since it first broke out in December 2019. China was the most affected country until last month before Italy and Spain surpassed it to record the most number of deaths anywhere in the world due to COVID-19. The virus is believed to have originated from a seafood market in China's Wuhan city, the epicentre of the disease, where animals were reportedly being traded illegally.

The United States, France, the United Kingdom, and Iran have also overtaken China in terms of the COVID-19 death toll. The latest country to join the bandwagon is Belgium, where 3,600 people have died so far, compared to China's 3,341. Germany is on its way to surpass the East Asian country as it has crossed the 3,000 benchmark last week. 

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(Image Credit: Andrea Bocelli/YouTube)