When two of the biggest voices in the music industry joined together for a hauntingly beautiful duet, the result is almost always an immediate success. And even two decades after “Time To Say Goodbye”hit the airwaves and shattered records across Europe, the almost angelic voices of Italian tenor, Andrea Bocelli, and English soprano, Sarah Brightman, continue to delight listeners and send a collective chill up our backs.
But not many people realize that the duet was originally intended as an homage to Sarah’s friend, a boxer named Henry Maske.
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“Time To Say Goodbye” was sung at Germany’s World Boxing Championship in November of 1996.
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The combined strength and power of their voices in that performance proved so popular, Sarah decided to include “Time To Say Goodbye”in her upcoming album. Released in 1997, “Timeless”went gold or platinum in nearly two dozen countries and has sold well over 1 million copies in the U.S. alone.
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“It is undeniably true that this song has become a classic, in its own way, in every corner of the world, able to move people and to enter their heart,”Andrea said following the song’s commercial release in movies including “Stepbrothers.â€
“I, for one, never get tired of singing it. It is interesting to see how it was used, in films, in contexts very different one from the other, from animated films to thrillers to comedies …â€
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The video below, which has been viewed nearly 18 million times, was taken during a live performance in 2007 at Teatro del Silenzio in Lajatico, Tuscany — which just happens to be Andrea’s hometown.
Share if you agree this is one of the most incredible performances you’ve ever seen!
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