My favourite rendition of this song will always be when 9-year-old Amira Willighagen nailed it.
As a trained opera singer myself, I can pick it apart - the diction is slightly "off", the phrasing stilted and her breathing all over the place - but the angelic purity of the voice was such that none of that mattered. Kid was nine and completely untrained (her father was teaching her to play the piano but she'd had no vocal training. None.) She's all grown up now but thankfully they didn't burn her out.
This post was edited by Slartibartfast at September 14, 2024 8:52 AM MDT
This is one of my favorite vocal pieces. I have always loved the way Pavarotti sung it above all others, but this child's rendition literally brought tears to my eyes and made the hairs on my arms stand up. Trained or otherwise, she has a magnificent voice. Thank you for posting this.
This post was edited by Spunky at September 15, 2024 1:50 AM MDT
This was her audition - the indulgent smiles on the faces of the judges, "How cute, this little girl thinks she can sing opera" turned into complete shock as the voice of Maria Callas burst from the throat of a baby.