Andrea Bocelli and 8-year-old daughter bringing hope with live-streamed Christmas concert

The music of Andrea Bocelli brought us comfort and hope when we needed it most. At the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the opera legend's Easter songs — performed in an empty cathedral — filled hearts around the world.

"It was important to give this prayer to everybody and to try to give hope and optimism," said Bocelli, who contracted COVID-19 shortly before that concert.

Bocelli is no stranger to adversity. A soccer injury at age 12 left him blind. 

His message for the holidays is: there is always hope. It is the theme of his new album and his Christmas concert, which is taking place on Saturday. The concert, live-streamed from the Teatro Regio in Parma, Italy, will explore the wonder of Christmas through the eyes of his 8-year-old daughter, Virginia.

When asked what it is like being on stage together, Virginia said, "For me, it means a lot. I like it."

The father and daughter surprised us with a more spiritual rendition of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah."

"Do you think there is something about the pandemic that unites us all?" CBS News asked Bocelli.

"Of course, the sufferings," he replied.

It's suffering he believes we can endure with grace from above.

"'Amazing Grace' is the song of a man that found, at a certain moment of his terrible life, he found the faith, and it's beautiful," said Bocelli.

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Norah O'Donnell

Norah O'Donnell is the anchor and managing editor of the "CBS Evening News." She also contributes to "60 Minutes."

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