If you haven’t heard of 35-year-old tenor
Franciscan Friar Alessandro Brustenghi, from Assisi, Italy, you should
check out his story here.
He is the only friar in the world to land a major
record deal (Decca Records/Universal Music Classics).
His arias have
made him a YouTube sensation.
He just released a new album, “Voice of Joy,” a
collection of traditional Christmas carols, seasonal melodies and sacred
arias.
In keeping with his vow of poverty, all of the proceeds from
concerts and album sales are directed to the Order of Friars Minor to
benefit Franciscan efforts worldwide.
In Assisi, at the friary
founded by St. Francis, he has the job of welcoming visitors and is a
carpenter. He was “discovered” in 2011 or so by some heavy-hitters in
the music industry.
This fall he was on tour in the U.S.
One of those stops was at the Franciscan Monastery in Washington,
where he sang selections from his CD “Voice from Assisi,” nominated as
Best Classical Album of the Year in 2012 at the Classic BRIT Awards in
the United Kingdom.
One of the songs he performed to a rapt audience in
the sanctuary of the monastery’s main church was the theme song from
Franco Zeffirelli’s 1972 film “Fratello Sole, Sorella Luna” (“Brother Sun, Sister Moon”),
which is of course a biopic about St. Francis of Assisi and St. Clare.
The song was written by the legendary folk-rock-pop troubadour Donovan.
In late October, Friar Alessandro performed a free concert
at the Cathedral of Christ the Light in Oakland, Calif., for 1,400
children from disadvantaged neighborhoods in San Francisco and Oakland.
Organizers said 300 volunteers worked months “to create one magical day
for the children” and expose them to “the beauty of the arts.”
A documentary about him was broadcast recently on the Eternal Word Television Network.