South African soprano sings ‘Amazing Grace’ solo in breathtaking acoustic of Notre Dame
8 December 2024, 13:57 | Updated: 8 December 2024, 14:44
Venezuelan maestro Gustavo Dudamel directed soprano Pretty Yende and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, as the doors of Notre-Dame reopened to the sound of glorious music.
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The world was moved yesterday by a soprano’s spectacular ode to Notre Dame, which has reopened its doors after a fire devastated the cathedral in April 2019.
Following a frenzied five-year renovation project, the Parisian monument is now fitted with a new roof and spire, and it hosted a magnificent concert on Saturday (7 December) to mark its reopening.
Pretty Yende, a South African operatic soprano who also performed at the coronation of King Charles III in Westminster Abbey, sang a note-perfect rendition of much-loved spiritual ‘Amazing Grace’.
After performing the first verse a cappella in the resonant cathedral acoustic, Yende was backed by a sweeping accompaniment from the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, under the baton of Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel.
Yende sang of “toils and snares” as France celebrated the return of a cultural treasure, after a fire that nearly burned it to the ground.
The Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel directing the South African soprano Pretty Yende and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, in this pitch-perfect rendition of Amazing Grace at Notre Dame today.pic.twitter.com/n6wpy8Zfk6
— Stephen Gibbs (@STHGibbs) December 7, 2024
During the ceremony and concert, the 8,000 pipes of the Notre-Dame organ resonated for the first time in public since the fire.
In 2019, firefighters managed to save the main stone structure of the monument, including the two bell towers, the organ and the iconic rose window.
Dudamel also conducted the Orchestra Philharmonique in Beethoven’s Symphony No.5, and Swedish violinist Daniel Lozakovich in Bach’s Air on the G String.
“Yende performed a magnificent and reverent version of this favorite hymn. It brought tears to my eyes,” one user commented.
Another wrote, “Remarkable that a hymn written over 200 years ago still resounds and resonates today.”