The idea behind this quartet's creation came to Simon Cowell after listening to Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman's rendition of "Con Te Partirò." He realized he loved lyrical voices but not opera, so he decided to form a multinational quartet (France, Switzerland, Spain, and United States) that sounded like The Three Tenors but sang pop songs and looked like handsome Armani models.
With this idea, Cowell commenced a worldwide search for young singers who were willing to embark on the Il Divo project. His search lasted two years, from 2001 until December 2003, when the fourth member of Il Divo, American tenor David Miller, was signed. The well-established formation of Il Divo comprises a renowned Spanish opera and zarzuela baritone, Carlos Marín, a French pop singer, Sébastien Izambard, and two classically trained tenors, Swiss Urs Bühler and American David Miller. Recording of their first album started in the first half of 2004 in Sweden.
The group's debut album, the self-named Il Divo, contains renditions of Frank Sinatra's hit "My Way (A Mi Manera)," Toni Braxton's hit "Unbreak My Heart (Regresa a Mi)," an adaptation of Ennio Morricone's soundtrack titled "Gabriel's Oboe" from the movie La Misión titled "Nella Fantasia" and several songs sung in Spanish, English, Italian, and Portuguese ("Volta Pra Mim"), including 1994's San Remo Festival winner "Passerà."
Il Divo hit the #1 slot on both Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com after a breakout career-defining appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show on April 5, 2005, where the quartet performed its interpretation of "Unbreak My Heart."
In the United Kingdom, the Il Divo album topped Robbie Williams as number 1 in the UK charts (allegedly Williams said to them during the Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason film premiere, "Oi, you're the bastards that knocked me off!"). This multiplatinum-selling CD became number one in the charts in a total of 13 countries around the world, and achieved top 5 placing in 25 countries.
Il Divo's second album, Ancora, was recorded in both Sweden and London with world-renowned recording giants Per Magnusson and David Kreuger and producer Steve Mac, who was also the producer of their first album. Released on November 7, 2005 in the UK, it hit number one both in the UK and Australia within one week. Ancora was released in the US on January 24, 2006. It entered the Billboard albums chart at number 1, selling more than 150,000 copies during its first week of sales.
Highlights on Ancora include "Isabel," "I Believe In You," a duet with Céline Dion, and Il Divo's cover of Eric Carmen's "All By Myself (Solo Otra Vez)." Two of the tracks on this CD, "O Holy Night" and "Ave Maria," appear on the 2005 US-only release, Christmas Collection.
Il Divo was the perfomer of the 2006 FIFA World Cup official song "A Time of Our Lives."
O Holy Night
Il Divo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It is the night of the dear Savior's birth
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth
A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices
O night divine, oh night when Christ was born
O night divine, oh night, oh night divine
O holy night! The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of the dear Savior's birth
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we
Let all within us praise His holy name
Christ is the Lord
Let everyone in grateful chorus raise we
O night, o night divine
O night divine
O night, o holy night
Il Divo's rendition of "O Holy Night" is a beautiful and touching rendition of the timeless Christmas classic. The song describes the awe-inspiring night when Jesus was born, and the world is in a state of longing, waiting for His arrival. With the stars shining brightly above, the song starts with the singer describing the miraculous birth of Jesus. It is a reminder to all Christians that this night is the most holy night of the year, when the savior of mankind was born.
The song captures the essence of Christ's birth and the joy it brings to the world. The world was lost and in sin, but upon the arrival of Jesus, the soul of the world felt its worth. It was a night filled with hope that will always be remembered by Christians across the globe. The chorus emphasizes the holiness of the night, and we're urged to fall on our knees and hear the angelic voices. This song is an invitation to everyone to join in the celebration of the birth of the Lord.
In conclusion, Il Divo's rendition of "O Holy Night" is a reminder of the true meaning of Christmas. The night Christ was born is an important event that must be commemorated and celebrated. The song encourages us to come together in unity and praise our Lord for His precious gift of salvation.
Line by Line Meaning
O holy night! The stars are brightly shining
The night is holy and the stars are shining brightly.
It is the night of the dear Savior's birth
It is the night when the Savior was born.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
The world had been suffering for a long time due to sin and error.
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth
Until the Savior appeared and the soul found its worth.
A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices
The world, which was tired and hopeless, is now rejoicing with a new sense of hope.
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn
A new and glorious morning is breaking in the distance.
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices
Fall on your knees and listen to the voices of angels.
O night divine, oh night when Christ was born
This night is divine because Christ was born.
O night divine, oh night, oh night divine
This night is truly divine.
O holy night! The stars are brightly shining
The night is holy and the stars are shining brightly.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we
We sing sweet hymns of joy and raise our voices in gratitude.
Let all within us praise His holy name
Let everything within us praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord
Christ is our Lord and Savior.
Let everyone in grateful chorus raise we
Let everyone sing praises and raise their voices in gratitude.
O night, o night divine
This night is divine.
O night divine
This night is divine.
O night, o holy night
This night is holy and truly divine.
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, Ultra Tunes, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Reservoir Media Management, Inc., Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Adolphe Charles Adam
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind