Behind the Song: Sing Again (Canto Ancora) from Jonathan Cilia Faro and Michael W. Smith

Inspiration and collaboration meet with the release of “Sing Again (Canto Ancora)” from crossover tenor Jonathan Cilia Faro and Christian contemporary artist Michael W. Smith.

CCM: Why did you choose this piece – what does it mean to you?
Jonathan Cilia Faro: For the first time in my career, the song chose me. Michael and I were working on another song but Michael asked me to try to put Italian lyrics in Sing Again and that is how the project was born.
Michael W. Smith: This song has such a great, universal message about being guided by a higher spirit. I think it applies to so much but especially what the world has been going through the past few years and is currently dealing with.

CCM: When did you first hear this track?
Michael W. Smith: I originally wrote “Sing, Again” to be performed when I reimagined my Worship Live album, which was released this past September.
Jonathan Cilia Faro: I first heard it in May 2021 right after Michael returned from Italy

CCM: What are some of the elements from the original that were important for you to keep and what were some of the new ideas you are most excited about?
Michael W. Smith: I loved the idea of Jonathan singing in Italian while I played the piano and sang in English. The combination is really powerful.
Jonathan Cilia Faro: The Italian language is very rich in words so we have a lot of choices when we adapt an English language song into Italian. It is very important for me to be true to the song and not lose the original meaning.

CCM: Were there any challenging moments in this piece?
Michael W. Smith: Having any song recorded in another language is always a bit of a challenge with translations, but overall, it was a very smooth process. We were very blessed.
Jonathan Cilia Faro: The real challenge was more technical in nature an example is that Michael and I worked in separate studios often from different cities so our schedule did not always coincide

CCM: Tell us a little bit about the production of the track? 
Michael W. Smith: I wrote and produced this song while working on my Worship Forever album, we were in the midst of the pandemic and it was just one of those songs that poured out of me. I just kept thinking about an encouragement that I heard at church. We’re going to sing together again. I think one of my favorite things about creating this was working with my daughters on it. They wrote the lyrics and I’m so proud of them for the way they helped me put the words that were in my heart on paper. Then of course I worked with my good friend and orchestrator, David Hamilton on adding the strings and really bringing it to life.
Jonathan Cilia Faro: The track was produced by David Hamilton right here in Nashville using the Nashville Symphony. And David was able to give us great support and a rich and dynamic track.
Due to time constraints, we involved a great Italian songwriter, Anna Chiara Zincone. In my opinion there are very few people of her caliber who can refine this type of song. Vincent Cavalli who is an Italian sound engineer and producer had the challenge of mixing my operatic voice with Michael’s, but the result is very rewarding. Everyone who hears Sing Again is moved by the song we created.

Stream “Sing Again (Canto Ancora)” on Spotify now!

Natasha Barbieri, Editor

Editor

Creator of Classical Crossover Magazine. For Natasha music has always been closely tied to her faith. At age 18, Natasha made her opera debut playing the part of the mother in Menotti’s ‘Amahl and the Night Visitors’ with the Eastern Festival Opera. At 20, she was a winner of the 2011 Young Artist Competition at Andrews University. Natasha graduated in 2012 with a Bachelor’s of Music. Natasha has released a series of Holiday singles “A Place Called Home” (2020), “One Little Boy,” and “The Perfect Year” (2021). In 2021, she was nominated for the ‘Future Classic Women Awards’ show on Men’s & Women’s Radio Station. Natasha is the creator and editor of ‘Classical Crossover Magazine’ a venture that has allowed her to interview many of the top stars in the genre including Sarah Brightman, Celtic Woman, Mirusia, Paul Potts, and more. During the covid-19 pandemic, she created an online concert series for the magazine that has seen her perform in the same line-up as Alex Sharpe, Lucy Kay, Barbara Padilla, Classical Reflection, and more on the virtual stage. In 2022, Natasha was included on the charity album “Stars of Classical Crossover: Christmas” in benefit of the Wallace & Gromit Children’s Charity.