“The Prayer” is a popular classical crossover song by David Foster, Carole Bayer Sager, Alberto Testa, and Tony Renis. It was originally released as separate solo tracks on the soundtrack for the animated film Quest for Camelot, with a solo version for Celine Dion recorded in English and one for Andrea Bocelli in Italian.
“The Prayer” was also recorded as a duet between Dion and Bocelli and appeared on each of their solo albums in 1998 and 1999, respectively. The song won a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1999 and a Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals in 2000.
Composer David Foster described “The Prayer” as “a song that I just never get tired of playing, I never get tired of hearing it, and I never get tired of people telling me that they enjoy it. And it seems to mean a lot—it means a lot of different things to a lot of people. So it’s a powerful piece of music. I think it came through me, and I think Carole’s lyric is beautiful. And it’s very meaningful to me that when all is said and done, there is a piece of music like that, that will undoubtedly outlive me. It was a moment—that song was a moment for sure.”
Carole Bayer Sager, who wrote the lyrics for “The Prayer,” discussed the theme of safety in the song, explaining, “I think it embodies everything I looked for my whole life. ‘Lead us to the place, guide us with your grace, to a place where we’ll be safe.’” See full article.
The song is a perfect fit for the Choir and appears on the album, Mormon Tabernacle Choir & Friends. In an article on BMI.com, Foster admitted that while it was hard to pick an absolute favorite song of his, he was partial to “The Prayer,” saying “It’s the closest to a real classical piece that I’ll ever write.”
Watch these different versions of “The Prayer” featuring former Choir guest artists Katherine Jenkins, and a duet with David Archuleta and Nathan Pacheco.