Friday 23 rd September 2016...a very special day!!!!

Not because since watching the Bake Off two nights ago I have been obsessed with cooking and made Janet my world famous scrambled eggs...

 I know the presentation is not good but I did not have oranges to adorn the plate but at least no "soggy bottom"  and Janet seemed to enjoy them!!!!

Not because I took the whole morning to do chores......raking leaves, pruning bushes, sweeping sidewalks, washing windows and ledges and taking Poppy for her long walk...








This is why it is a special day!!!!!!

On October 8th this year, in a couple of weeks my adorable Sister in law and my Brother celebrate their 50th wedding  anniversary and that will be a fantastic evening.
Today I am treating the three of us to dinner and then driving to Sheffield about one hour away to see this amazing singer live in concert!!!!!!

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Andrea Bocelli is a tenor singer who has had great success and is known for his work with Luciano Pavarotti.

Andrea Bocelli was born on September 22, 1958 in Lajatico, Tuscany, Italy. As a child, he learned to play the piano, flute and saxophone. Visually impaired from birth, Bocelli became blind at the age of 12 following a soccer injury. His big break came when a demo tape landed in the hands of Luciano Pavarotti. His 1995 album Bocelli did well in Europe and 1999's Sognobecame an international hit. He remains one of the world's most popular singers today. 

Early Years

Born on September 22, 1958, in Lajatico, Italy, Andrea Bocelli became interested in music at an early age. He was only six years old when he began studying piano. He later learned flute and saxophone, and was often asked to sing at family gatherings and at school. Visually impaired from birth, he became blind at the age of 12 following a soccer injury.

According to his website, Bocelli had his first taste of success in a singing competition in 1970. He continued to hone his talent, studying voice with Luciano Bettarini. His parents wanted him to become an attorney and while at University of Pisa, Bocelli studied law and later became a court appointed lawyer after graduating from law school. But he did not abandon his music. Bocelli studied with Franco Corelli and took up playing piano in bars to pay for his lessons.   

Famed Italian Tenor

One of Bocelli's first lucky breaks came in 1992 when he recorded a demo tape of "Miserere" for Zucchero Fornaciari, with the song co-written by U2'sBono. That recording was heard by famed tenor Luciano Pavarotti, for whom the track was originally written. Pavarotti then encouraged Fornaciari to use Bocelli for the song. In the end, Bocelli and Pavarotti performed "Miserere" together, which became a Europe-wide smash hit.

A singer on the rise, Bocelli competed in the Sanremo Festival in 1994. He won the top honors in the newcomers' category. That same year, Bocelli released his first album in Italy, Il Mare Calmo Della Sera. He scored a major hit in Europe a short time later with Bocelli, which featured "Con Te Partiro." The song later became a popular duet with Sarah Brightman as "Time to Say Goodbye," which appeared on his 1997 album Romanza. 

With Sogno (1999), Bocelli cemented his status as an international singing sensation. The hit record included a duet with Celine Dion on the song "The Prayer." More popular albums soon followed, including 2001's Cieli di Toscana and 2006's Amore. He also earned Grammy nods for Best New Artist in 1999 and in 2000 for "Sogno" (Best Male Pop Vocal Performance) and "The Prayer" (Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals).

In addition to compilations and collaborative works, Bocelli has released numerous studio and live albums through his career including Viaggio Italiano(1995), Aria: The Opera Album (1998), Sacred Arias (1999), Verdi (2000),Cieli di Toscana (2001), Sentimento (2002), Andrea (2004), Amore (2006),Under the Desert Sky (2006), Incanto (2008), Vivere Live in Tuscany (2008),My Christmas (2009), and Concerto: One Night in Central Park (2011).

More recently, Bocelli collaborated with Jennifer Lopez and Nelly Furtado on his 2013 album Passione. He also joined forces with Placido Domingo and Ana Maria Martinez on 2014's Manon Lescaut. 

In 2015, Bocelli released Cinema, his 15th studio album. The tenor had longed to create an album of his favorite movie songs originally performed by singers such as Frank Sinatra and Mario Lanza. The album features his renditions of classic soundtrack favorites such as “Maria” from West Side Story, “Moon River” from Breakfast at Tiffany’s, “No Llores Por Mi Argentina, from Evita, and “Por uno cabeza” from Scent of a Woman. The album also features duets with Ariana Grande and Nicole Scherzinger. 

That same year, he sang “The Lord’s Prayer” before Pope Francis in Philadelphia during the pontiff's historic visit to the United States. Speaking about the performance with Time magazine, Bocelli reflected, "Having the chance to sing again in front of the Holy Father, for whom I have deep and sincere devotion, offering my humble contribution as a fervent Catholic, is a great honor for me. St. Augustine notoriously reminds us that singing is an extraordinary form of prayer. And this is my goal, my purpose and my joy: to pray together."

Personal Life

Bocelli married his first wife, Enrica, in 1992. The couple had two sons, Amos and Matteo, before separating in 2002.

That same year, Bocelli began dating his manager, Veronica Berti. The couple welcomed a daughter, Virginia, in 2012. They married in March 2014, in a ceremony in Livorno, Italy. The Italian tenor was 55 years old at the time, and his new bride 30.

What an amazing evening we have had the concert was sublime and one for the memory banks ...his voice is one of a kind and the evening was filled with guest soloists and the fabulous Royal Philharmonic Orchestra!!!!!
Happy soon to be golden wedding Janet and Malc ......love you both!!!!

Yashi Kochi!!!!