by The musical “Les Miserables” features one of the most poignant songs ever written.
The ballad “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables” is sung towards the end of the drama and performed by a young character named Marius, who is mourning the loss of his friends in an uprising in post-Revolutionary France.
In the musical, Marius sings the song while sitting alone in the café where he and his friends used to congregate to sing, plan, and gather support for their cause.
The character sings to the ghosts of his peers, lamenting that he survived while they are gone and questioning the worth of their sacrifice. Even the unfeeling will be moved by this haunting moment of grief and despair.
In the real world, many people have experienced pain and sorrow in the previous two years. With COVID-19 claiming millions of lives worldwide, the social and political upheavals, the effects of climate change becoming more apparent, and a war in our midst, a reprieve is most welcome.
That’s where Cormac Thompson comes in.
The 13-year-old recorded “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables” as a charity single to raise funds for Acting for Others. His amazing rendition of the song gives many people a release from emotions they have long kept hidden in the shadows.
Cormac initially gained internet fame when he was 11 after a video of him singing “Danny Boy” for his grandparents in Northern Ireland went viral during the pandemic lockdowns. Listeners were in awe of Cormac’s angelic voice that could calm even the most turbulent mind.
Cormac’s “Danny Boy” performance got him a record deal. He recorded an album “Hear My Voice,” which was released on Decca Records in December 2020.
Today, the youngster from England is making waves yet again with his stunning rendition of “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables.”
The cover, shared on his official YouTube channel, has been viewed nearly 300,000 times at the time of writing.
The three-minute video alternates between Cormac singing in the studio and clips of scenes that depict the terrible reality that humanity had to weather during the pandemic.
Cormac’s pitch-perfect voice earned the praise of hundreds of viewers. Here are some of their reactions:
“How can someone so young and innocent put such delicacy and empathy into a such a song. Fabulous.”
“This brought me to tears. Living here in the United States, the beautiful voice of such a young person singing about such loss is so poignant right now.”
“Absolutely beautiful. You seriously have the voice of an angel. Well done, sir.”
Cormac’s performance is yet another proof that music has the power to heal and inspire. If you’re in dire need of emotional relief through music, you can listen to this young man’s beautiful performance of this ballad by clicking the video below.
You can follow Cormac Thompson on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and his website to keep up to date with his latest performances.
