Hello, Elegant Ones,
Have you ever had an event so special that you dreamed of coming true, even though you have no idea how or when it would happen? My wife and I enjoy the music of Andrea Bocelli, and attending one of his concerts would be a dream come true. Thankfully, that dream became a reality this Sunday night when we attended his concert in Saint Louis.
Andrea Bocelli concert program cover
Our first experience listening to Mr. Bocelli’s music was when we purchased perfume from Victoria’s Secret in 2001. At the time, my wife enjoyed wearing Dream Angel, and the purchase included a gift – a compilation CD of the Italian tenor’s music. Having never heard anything from him, we did not know what to expect. However, from the first time we played the CD, his mesmerizing voice hooked us. We often played the CD as we would get ready for the day or night before bed. We couldn’t get enough of it, and we wanted to learn more about him and his music.
Since that Victoria’s Secret purchase, we experienced his newly-released albums and discovered his previously-released works. We did not understand most of the music since it was sung in Italian, but Mr. Bocelli did have a few songs in English. His voice is so powerful that it does not matter if it is Italian or English; he can move you, stir your emotions, and fill you with great joy. My wife would often say that she would enjoy going to one of his concerts if she had the opportunity.
A few years back, probably in 2018 or 2019, I had learned that Mr. Bocelli would be performing in New York City. It might have been Christmas special, although I don’t recall for sure. I thought it would be great to surprise my wife with a trip to the Big Apple for that concert of a lifetime. I went as far as looking at airline ticket prices and hotels near the concert venue. But the timing wasn’t right, and the trip didn’t happen. Since we had never been to New York City and knew almost nothing about getting around, I decided it would be best to wait for a better opportunity.
A couple of months back, as I was out running errands when I noticed a billboard with Mr. Bocelli’s photograph and the date October 17. Intrigued, I rushed home to see what I could find. To my amazement, Mr. Bocelli was bringing his world tour to Saint Louis. Our better opportunity now required no airline tickets or hotel reservations, but instead a quick fifteen trip from our house. The original tour, planned for 2020, was canceled when the pandemic was still lingering in December. How did we not know he was coming to our hometown? How did we miss it? But thankfully, good seats were still available, and we quickly purchased our tickets for what we knew would be a memorable evening.
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Without a doubt, Mr. Bocelli did not disappoint the crowd of almost 18,000 people. As a man of few words, he let his music speak for itself. He had no long introduction at the opening; he spoke only one brief sentence, saying it was great to be back together since the pandemic had canceled the previous opportunity. His powerful voice filled the Enterprise Center with a mixture of songs from his most recent BELIEVE album and earlier selections. He moved from song to song without long soliloquies, and in some instances, Mr. Bocelli spoke no words. Larisa Martinez, Loren Allred, and Edward Park joined Mr. Bocelli on stage for spectacular duets. You could feel their passion and feel it deep down in your soul. My favorite moment of the night was when nine-year-old daughter Virginia Bocelli joined her father on stage for a heartwarming rendition of Hallelujah. Ayanna Witter-Johnson’s cello solo and singing added a punch of the unexpected. Brittany O’Connor and Paul Barris masterfully danced during many of the songs. Steven Mercurio conducted the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra and Symphony Orchestra to add the finishing touches for an amazing night.
The two-plus-hour show left my wife and me speechless, not wanting the night to end. Mr. Boceilli and his friends could have performed for another hour or two, and it would have been wonderful. Their performance left us in awe. Never have we been to a concert quite like it. I don’t know what concert could be any better than this one — only another Andrea Bocelli concert, but this time in Italy at the Duomo in Milan. That would be utterly mind-blowing, but one can dream.
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