After the release of his first sensational Christmas album, Andrea Bocelli hit the stage of The Kodak Theatre with an adorable bunch of children’s choir singers to perform an absolutely magical rendition of “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town.” The heartwarming moment has already racked up over 25.8 million YouTube views so far while moving countless fans to tears.
At first, this clip looks like it’s come fresh from the 1970s: the blind opera legend Andrea is seated centre-stage and surrounded by fifteen children in nostalgic knitwear and colored tights standing behind him, sitting cross-legged before him and all turning their saccharine smiles towards Andrea’s masterful voice.
Surrounded by a forest of snow-dusted Christmas firs, a sweep of orchestral music carries Andrea’s goosebump-laden first verse before show host David Foster takes to the grand piano and the kids’ choir takes on the chorus like a scene from The Sound of Music. The choir is fantastic, surprisingly pitch-perfect considering how young some of its members are, but Andrea’s own, unexpected take on this track is bound to blow viewers away even more.
The Italian-born singer Andrea Bocelli has been a multi-time feature on The Music Man, yet never before have we heard him drop his trademark opera tones to sing a tune in the style of jazz, and he nails it perfectly. His classical sense of control over this Sinatra-style song is astounding to hear, and he even stuns the kids around him when he momentarily pulls the tune back into his own realm, letting one long, high note resound for seconds and spawning some priceless expressions of shock on the choir’s faces.
Some viewers have been moved to tears, and others to amazement, with one fan commenting, “Mr. Bocelli is a genius. He can change the whole mood of any song,” and another dramatically reckoning, “His would be the voice of God if we could hear it.” Other viewers have been taken aback by the moment Andrea whips out a melodica and starts playing the main theme ribboned with some insane scales, not realizing the blind singer is also a multi-instrumentalist.
If this one exceptional performance isn’t enough to satiate your Christmas spirit, Andrea has released two full Christmas albums for you to sink your teeth into as the big day approaches: 2009’s “My Christmas” and 2022’s “A Family Christmas,” featuring the voices of his own children, Matteo and Virginia Bocelli.
Andrea Bocelli’s version of “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” appears as the third track on “My Christmas,” alongside “White Christmas,” “Jingle Bells,” “Silent Night,” and collabs with Mary J. Blige and Nat King Cole’s daughter, Natalie Cole.
Andrea Bocelli’s enchanting rendition of “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” is a festive delight that captures the warmth and nostalgia of the season. If this heartwarming performance has moved you, don’t miss the chance to explore more of his magical moments. Discover the journey of this exceptional artist and the choir’s captivating work through the links below.
