Dolores O'Riordan, the famed Cranberries frontwoman, joined opera singer Luciano Pavarotti in Modena, Italy to perform a stunning cover of the Latin hymn "Ave Maria".
On January 15, 2018, tragically Dolores O'Riordan passed away aged 44. As her anniversary approaches we share a spinetingling performance by the artist, a duet with the famed Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti.
O'Riordan and Pavarotti's "Ave Maria" performance at Parco Novi Sad was part of a ten-concert series between 1992 and 2003 known as 'Pavarotti & Friends' which raised money for several humanitarian causes.
The Irish and Italian duo's 1995 concert was in aid of the children of Bosnia affected by the war.
Just over two decades after recording the song with Pavarotti, their version of "Ave Maria" cover rang out at the Church of Saint Ailbe in Co Limerick for O'Riordan's funeral in 2018. Even more poignant was the fact that O’Riordan’s singing career had started in that very building, singing and playing keyboard for the choir.
At the closing of her funeral, there was an eruption of applause both inside and outside the church when The Cranberries' “When You're Gone” played as the service came to an end.
This Cranberries hit was also played around the country on numerous radio stations as the country paid tribute to the Limerick star.
Following the service, O’Riordan was laid to rest alongside her father, Terence Patrick, at the Caherelly cemetery. Her father passed away in 2011, following a long battle with cancer.
* Originally published in January 2018. Updated in Jan 2024.
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