
Capetonians Déna Mesias and Sam Crouch had never performed a duet together before lockdown, nor are they professional musicians.
Yet under the circumstances Déna, who works in a school’s accounts department, and Sam, a digital printer, came together to sing The Prayer and it captured our hearts. The two recorded it from their homes as South Africans celebrated Easter under lockdown.
The Prayer is a well-known song made famous by Céline Dion and Andrea Bocelli in the late 1990s.
According to Déna, the national lockdown is offering opportunities for artists – amateur or professional – to also share their talent and spread joy.
“I’m sure if it wasn’t for the lockdown situation many of us would not have gone this route. But it proves how amazing technology is; that we are now able to sing along with others from the comfort of our own homes,” she told Good News Daily.
“With all the videos being posted on social media during this pandemic, we are now able to see the many hidden talents of people.”
“It seemed to be an appropriate song to sing now, when the whole world finds itself in such uncertain times. It serves as a universal prayer for the many who are suffering from this virus and also to console those who have lost loved ones as a result of Covid-19.
Déna Mesias
Déna also teamed up with a fellow singer, Patrick Bwembya who lives in Zambia, to produce a beautiful version of Abide With Me.
“That duet came about when I received a new friend request on Facebook from Patrick that same day after he saw our video of The Prayer,” she said.
Listen to Abide With Me, here:
In case you haven’t heard it, here’s the original ‘The Prayer’ by Céline Dion and Andrea Bocelli: