World-famous tenors Andrea Bocelli and Joseph Calleja joined the forces of their powerful voices over dinner at the Maltese tenor’s Mellieħa home on Tuesday in a spontaneous and mesmerising medley.

“It goes to show that you cannot keep two tenors quiet for very long,” Calleja said in a Facebook post about having had “a bit of fun singing along to Perfect, the Ed Sheeran classic that had featured Bocelli. It was a fantastic and memorable, impromptu moment,” he said.

The encounter between the two opera heavyweights, who have performed together in more formal settings at Calleja’s Granaries concerts in 2017 and 2019, happened during Bocelli’s three-day visit to Malta this week for a new musical project.

The star, accompanied by his wife Veronica and their daughter Virginia, chose the island and spectacular views in various spots to form part of the project that will be launched in a few weeks’ time.

As Maltese Cultural Ambassador, Calleja said he was “thrilled that Andrea came to Malta to film in some truly stunning locations”. 

Speaking as a friend of the legendary Italian singer/songwriter, he said it was also a pleasure to catch up with him at his home and talk about a range of subjects, including opera, culture and “how much we miss performing for our beloved public”. 

In fact, Bocelli’s last record-breaking performance, held on Easter Sunday during Italy's nationwide COVID-19 lockdown, was live-streamed from an empty Duomo in Milan, and his next, Believe in Christmas, on December 12, will again have no audience in attendance at the Teatro Regio di Parma opera house, but the webcast will be staggered for global primetime viewing.

The fact that Malta played host to the international tenor meant it would be promoted around the world through music and visual arts and would serve as a showcase on a cultural and touristic level, said the Malta Tourism Authority, which coordinated the singing celebrity’s project.