The upcoming biopic on the life of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, from Angel Studios, will feature a brand new song from Andrea Bocelli, sung with his daughter Virginia. In promotion for the upcoming March 8 theatrical release of Cabrini, Andrea Bocelli has released a music video that features himself and his daughter singing for the soundtrack.
The video intersperses scenes from the film with shots of Andrea and Virginia singing together. Opening with a somber guitar, the video highlights the life of service to the underserved to which Mother Cabrini dedicated herself. The Bocellis begin the song, seemingly from the comfort of their own living room, surrounded by pictures of family, and both beaming with smiles to be performing together.
The song features lyrics in both Italian and English, with Andrea and Virginia taking up each language respectively. Andrea, famous for his high-soaring tenor voice part, sings uncharacteristically low throughout the first half of the song. This works to highlight Virginia’s voice, which is much lighter, but no less pronounced than her father’s.
We’ve heard Virginia take up small vocal parts in Bocelli’s 2022 A Family Christmas album, but she’s further developed as a vocalist in the time since. Now, she is quite the fledgling singer, with flawless English diction and a beautiful vibrato. When they trade the melody, it’s lovely to see how much she enjoys listening to her father sing.
The real magic of the song comes when the pair harmonize with each other, about halfway through, with both of them singing in Italian. The harmonies are made more interesting as they keep trading the higher part, with Andrea starting higher and ending lower. Virginia’s final high note, supported by Bocelli’s strong voice and a swelling orchestra, left us with goosebumps.
A song to capture Mother Cabrini's spirit
Of the song, "Dare To Be," Ryan Svendsen, Head of Music for Angel Studios, expressed his thanks to Andrea and Virginia for their "beautifully crafted duet." He commented on the song:
“'Dare To Be' captures the spirit of Francesca Cabrini, who spent her life bringing light and hope to those who were living on the margins. She Dared To Be, and then, with incredible faith and tenacity, turned her dream of an Empire of Hope into reality.
While we’re not sure where the song fits into the movie, it did give an excellent idea of the incredibly high production value of Cabrini. As the film is a period piece, it features beautiful costumes in the late 19th-century styles of the United States and Italy, as well as phenomenal cinematography that vividly captures the emotion of each scene.
Cabrini opens in theaters on March 8. Visit Angel Studios’ website to learn more about the upcoming film and find a theater near you.
