A performance worthy of the divine. In 2010, Britain’s Got Talent breakout star Susan Boyle lent her magnificent voice to a selection of hymns in honor of Pope Benedict XVI, and her stunning vocals are as moving today as they were then.
Susan Boyle sang for the Pope in Scotland
On September 16, 2010, Pope Benedict XVI attended a Roman Catholic open mass in Scotland, held at Glasgow’s Bellahouston Park in front of 65,000 people, per Billboard. Boyle, a practicing Catholic, told the crowd she had “always dreamed of” performing for the church leader. For the occasion, she sang “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Miserables as well as the hymns “Make Me a Channel of Your Peace” and “How Great Thou Art.”
Even years later, her vocal delivery still sends chills down the spines of those who hear it. “I go back to this video when I am feeling depressed, down, and not up to par. It always blesses me the way [Susan Boyle] sings this song. Her voice always soothes my soul. God bless her now and always!” wrote one moved commenter on YouTube. Watch the performance here.
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Susan Boyle sang for Pope Francis, too
Nine years after her performance in Scotland, Boyle visited the Vatican to sing for Pope Benedict XVI’s successor, Pope Francis. She and a handful of other top musicians were selected to serenade the audience for the Vatican’s annual Christmas concert, with Boyle triumphantly belting out “I Dreamed a Dream” and “When a Child Is Born.” Speaking to Metro after the 2019 event, Boyle called the experience “humbling.”
“To be at the Vatican meeting the Pope was such a humbling experience and to be asked to take part in his Christmas concert was a true honor,” Boyle said. “I have to pinch myself at how lucky I am, and 10 years on, I’m still having the most fantastic time with these incredible opportunities. I don’t and won’t ever take this for granted.”
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Following Francis’ passing this year, Boyle wrote on Instagram, “It was the honour and privilege of my life to sing for you. A man for all seasons.”
Susan Boyle is coming back
After a long hiatus, the star is getting back to work. She teased her imminent return to music and performance on Instagram, and seems to be doing well following her 2024 stroke. “I’m back alright. I’m feeling OK and ready to go,” she told the Daily Mail.
