Timeless Wonder- Music Analysis #2 - Andrea Bocelli and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir - The Lord's Prayer

    I was introduced to this beautiful piece when I took part in our church choir many years ago. My Mother accompanied the choir at the time, and I considered it a bonding moment. I was an "unaccomplished" alto, yet I enjoyed singing in unison with the other members. The talented people in the choir had incredible voices. When I reminisce about these times, I can still hear the lovely and powerful tenors, the angelic sopranos, the unforgettable baritones, and the flowing notes of the altos. The melody of "The Lord's Prayer" is imprinted in my memory, and I can still recall it as if I just learned it, like riding a bike. 

    Jesus taught His disciples how to pray using The Lord's Prayer as a guide. This prayer was recited during His iconic Sermon on the Mount (King James Version, Matthew 6:9-15). Put into music, the piece reflects the power of His prayer with its carefully arranged mixture of elements which include, yet are not limited to, Intervals, Range, Scales, Dynamics, and Articulation. 

    The origin of the music for The Lord's Prayer was composed by Albert Malotte in 1935 when he lived in Hollywood, Ca. Several versions of "The Lord's Prayer" was released, yet the most compelling adaptation was performed by Andrea Bocelli and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Andrea Bocelli, an Italian Native, took the world by storm with his powerful tenor voice. He performed in a multitude of operas and sung many popular songs with other iconic artists like Celine Dion and Stevie Wonder. "The Lord's Prayer" was included in Bocelli's Christmas Album, released in 2009 (Encyclopedia Britannica). 

    Andrea Bocelli navigates life without sight. He had congenital glaucoma throughout his childhood and completely lost his sight when he was 12 years old. The talented tenor experienced a devastating brain hemorrhage from a soccer accident. Regardless, Andrea Bocelli overcame this tragedy. He moved upward in young adulthood and pursued a career as a state-appointed attorney. Later, he studied vocal performance, which catapulted him to fame. His angelic voice is legendary, and he performs "The Lord's Prayer" with the eternal passion, spiritually intended for the message within the piece (Encyclopedia Britannica). 

        

 Introduction- Scales

    "The Lord's Prayer" opens with the tune of a harp. The entire hymn is built around the chords Bb major, Eb major, C minor, and Ab major. The harp flows delicately together with the angelic voices of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, rippling like gentle waves on the sand. Their voices softly blend beautifully in a monophonic texture, combining soprano, alto, and tenor. The choir's oceanic tune flows upward like soft waves into a harmonic crescendo and slowly fades into the melody of an organ, inviting the heavenly peace that sets the stage perfectly for Andrea Bocelli. 

Dynamics and Intervals

    Andrea Bocelli begins his solo gently, yet with serene anticipation. He uses long and gracefully sustained rhythms as his voice intentionally draws back the flow of the choir. The rhythm is well-hidden and is not dominant, yet it waits patiently. Bocelli's dynamics begin in pianissimo (pp) for an elegant and calm introduction. His voice softly develops power as he moves from pianissimo (pp) to mezzo piano (mp). The Mormon Tabernacle Choir joins Bocelli in a beautiful, unified acceleration, gracefully moving from mezzo piano (mp) to mezzo forte (mf). The choir silences as Bocelli uses intervals as big leaps from mezzo forte (mf) to forte (f), and the orchestra carries him further to the heart of the piece. The hymn develops from a place of peace and serenity bringing a gradual feeling of excitement as the song transitions.

Range and Articulation

    As Andrea Bocelli teases us with the developing range of his powerful voice, he slowly decelerates as the orchestra declines into a soft organ melody. Bocelli repeats the verse yet again, increasing his vocal range, scaling rapidly from one octave to the next, a feature he is most famous for (Vocal). With the loud, powerful beat of a bass drum followed by reverberating symbols, Bocelli takes a soaring leap from forte (f) to fortissimo (ff) as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the orchestra try to compete with his emotionally influential range. As Bocelli holds his highest, most impressive note, you can identify the vibrato in his voice, a lovely, natural articulation he possesses. The piece rapidly begins to dissipate as Bocelli, the orchestra, and the choir drop and then fade into silence. The lovely range of Bocelli's impressive voice marks the climax of the piece. He maintains the elevated note in conjunction with vibrato, surging an emotional charge.

    My Mother taught me The Lord’s Prayer, and I recall, in childhood, reciting it nightly with pride and intention, holding it close to my heart. The prayer and its beautiful song are an emblem of my faith and a lovely memory of my Mother. I can envision her gleaming with pride while I sang "The Lord's Prayer" with our home church choir. Although my voice wasn't at all "legendary," it seemingly was to her. Thank you so much for viewing my post and sharing this memory with me. Do you have special songs that spur fond memories for you?

                Works Cited

“Albert Hay Malotte.” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Hay_Malotte.

Bocelli, Andrea. Andrea Bocelli - "The Lord’s Prayer (Live From The Kodak Theatre, USA/2009)." 2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8jImIjg4UY

https://www.vecteezy.com/photo/21880494-dove-activity-illustration-ai-generated

Encyclopedia Britannica, The Editors of. “Andrea Bocelli Italian Singer.” Britannica, 18 Sept. 2025,        https://www.britannica.com/biography/Andrea-Bocelli.

The KJV Study Bible (King James Bible). Rainbow Studies, Inc., 1992.

“The Lord’s Prayer Chords.” Chordify, https://chordify.net/chords/andrea-bocelli-feat-the-mormon-tabernacle-choir-songs/the-lord-s-prayer-chords

Vocal, Analise. Andrea Bocelli Vocal Range (C#2-D5). 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56WnCEfmDCM#:~:text=Although%20he%20is%20a%20Opera%20singer%2C%20he,he%20could%20hit%20higher%20or%20lower%20notes. YouTube.