Susan Boyle excels at singing religious music. Whether it’s “Amazing Grace” or “Away in a Manger,” the Britain’s Got Talent star (and AGT alum!) has a knack for giving familiar church songs new meaning.
She performs the same way with “A Mother’s Prayer,” also known as “The Prayer” by Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli. The track’s lyrics are fairly spiritual, with lines such as “Lead us to a place/guide us with Your grace,” which creates sentiments of warmth and peace. It’s the musical equivalent of a fluffy cloud in heaven, which made it ideal for Boyle to cover.
However, a song like this is so epic that it requires not one but two AGT alumni who are well-versed in covering religious tunes. That’s where Jackie Evancho, the AGT Season 5 runner-up, comes in. Over a decade ago, Evancho published a rendition of “A Mother’s Prayer,” and she felt Boyle would be the perfect collaborator. Evancho’s operatic flair and Boyle’s respectful vocals work together perfectly to produce a magnificent listening experience.
Boyle has always valued spirituality in his life.
“Without God, you can do nothing,” she told the Catholic Sun in 2014. “I have to use the kind of gift he’s given me to benefit others.”
She has resorted to prayer on several occasions, including the death of her mother.
“At times of great stress—when my mother died—I turned to Mary for support,” Boyle told CNN. “I do have a special relationship with Mary, Mother of God, because she’s our spiritual mother.”
Boyle has several cover songs on her seven studio albums, including “A Mother’s Prayer.” All are powerful examples of her amazing skill, which we first witnessed on BGT in 2009. Fans will undoubtedly recall her viral rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream,” which sparked everything.
“I’ll never forget this,” Simon Cowell said to Terry Crews as he re-watched a tape from Boyle’s initial BGT audition on an episode of America’s Got Talent. “She is the most wonderful person. This was a woman who lived alone in Scotland, and when she appeared on the show, everything changed.