The Prayer

"The Prayer"
Single by Céline Dion and Andrea Bocelli
from the album These Are Special Times and Sogno
Released	March 1, 1999 (1999-03-01)
Format	Promotional recording
Recorded	Chartmarker Studios, Sony Sound Stage, Criteria Recording Studios
Genre	Pop
Length	4:29
Label	Columbia, Epic
Writer(s)	David Foster, Carole Bayer Sager, Alberto Testa, Tony Renis
Producer	David Foster, Tony Renis, Carole Bayer Sager
Céline Dion singles chronology
"On ne change pas" (1999) "The Prayer" (1999) "Treat Her Like a Lady" (1999)
Alternate covers
2008 duet with Josh Groban

"The Prayer" is a duet between Céline Dion and Andrea Bocelli. It's the second single from Dion's Christmas album These Are Special Times and first from Bocelli's album Sogno. It was released as a promotional single on March 1, 1999.^[1]

"The Prayer" won the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song from the Quest for Camelot movie in 1999, the second win in a row for a Celine Dion song. It was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1999 and a Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals in 2000. Dion performed it with Bocelli at both ceremonies.

First, "The Prayer" was recorded as two separate solo versions, Dion's in English and Bocelli's in Italian. They appeared on the Quest for Camelot soundtrack in May 1998. The duet was included on both artists albums, released few months later. It was also featured on Dion's compilation The Collector's Series, Volume One (2000) and greatest hits My Love: Ultimate Essential Collection (2008). A re-recorded solo version by Céline Dion (re-named "A Mother's Prayer") appeared on her 2004 album Miracle. Dion perormed "The Prayer" live during her Taking Chances Tour as a virtual duet with Bocelli on the screen. The song appeared also on Bocelli's 2007 compilation The Best of Andrea Bocelli: Vivere. A live version by Bocelli and Heather Headley was included on his Under the Desert Sky DVD/CD and Vivere Live in Tuscany DVD/CD.

"The Prayer" was popular on the adult contemporary charts in Canada and the United States, peaking at number 8 and number 22 respectively.

Céline Dion and Josh Groban version

Céline Dion performed "The Prayer" live with Josh Groban, during her CBS TV special That's Just the Woman in Me, aired on February 15, 2008. This version was released as a music download in the U.S and Canada, two days earlier. It entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 70 and appeared on few other Billboard charts: Pop 100 at number 50, Hot Digital Songs at number 32 and Hot Digital Tracks at number 29. The single has sold 37,531 copies in its first week. In Canada, the song peaked at number 37 on the Canadian Hot 100 and number 19 on the Canadian Top Digital Downloads.

Groban also sang "The Prayer" live with Céline Dion 8 years earlier, at the Concert for World Children's Day in 2002. The two first sang the song together in 1999, when Groban filled in for Andrea Bocelli at rehearsal for the 1999 Grammy Awards.

Formats and track listings

1999 North American promotional CD maxi single

1. "The Prayer" (Céline Dion and Andrea Bocelli) – 4:29
2. "The Prayer" (Céline Dion) – 2:48
3. "The Prayer" (Andrea Bocelli) – 4:10

2008 North American digital single

1. "The Prayer" (Céline Dion and Josh Groban) (live) – 4:38

Charts

Cover versions

• Anthony Callea released the song as his debut single in Australia on December 19, 2004. It became the highest and fastest-selling single by any Australian artist. "The Prayer" debuted at number 1 on the ARIA Charts and stayed there for five weeks. It was certified 4x platinum by ARIA. The song was included on Callea's debut album Anthony Callea.
• Andrea Ross sings "The Prayer" as a solo song with English-only lyrics on her debut album Moon River.
• Angie Stone also performed the song live with Josh Groban appearing on the Josh Groban in Concert bonus DVD.
• Filipina singer Charice Pempengco and Andrea Bocelli sang their version at Teatro del Silencio in Italy.
• Charlotte Church and Josh Groban both sing "The Prayer" on Church's Enchantment album and Groban's debut album. They also did the same performance in her companion concert and as the closing song of the 2002 Winter Olympics Closing Programme.
• The youngest member of Celtic Woman, Chloë Agnew covered the English version of this song for both, her self-titled and Walking in the Air albums with the help of her composer David Downes. The music video of this song for her solo DVD reveals that she wears a hooded outfit and holds a pink, yellow, turquoise and indigo umbrella with a ponytail braid walking past the beach in a cloudy day. In Celtic Woman: A New Journey, she sings it live on the stage.
• Daniel Rodriguez and Kristin Chenoweth recorded it for Rodriguez's 2003 album From My Heart.
• Former Celtic Woman member Deirdre Shannon and her brother Matthew Gilsenan, a Celtic Tenor, both sing "The Prayer" for Shannon's self-titled album.
• Katharine McPhee first sang it on American Idol when she met Andrea Bocelli. When the singing competition ended, Bocelli asked McPhee to go on tour with him for a few dates. On tour they sang The Prayer together. Their duet was featured on David Foster's Hit Man CD/DVD.
• Sissel sang "The Prayer" with Josh Groban, but it's not released on the CD album yet.
• Tim Davis and Melody Davis, members of the Seventh Day Adventist Group, The Heritage Singers, made a cover of the song. Which has been sung in all concerts and tours.
• Yolanda Adams and Donnie McClurkin recorded an English version on McClurkin's 2003 album Again.
• Andrea Bocelli and Josh Groban also sang the duet at the 2008 Grammy's in honor of the life of Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti who had passed away previously that year.
• Peter Jöback and Sarah Dawn Finer performed the duet in Swedish, as "Min Bön". It appears on Jöback's 2008 Christmas album En god jul ogn en gott nytt år.

References