The event at the ancient Baths of Caracalla in Rome captured the public’s imagination and the recording of the show became the best-selling classical album of all time.

At the same time, The BBC had already been using a 1972 recording of Pavarotti singing Nessun Dorma as the theme for its television coverage of the 1990 World Cup, which sent the song to number two on the UK charts.

Around the same time, in 1992, Pavarotti was offered Miserere, a new track by Italian pop star Zucchero. The demo tape was sung by a young unknown, Andrea Bocelli.

An incredible new star was about to be born, with a little help from Maestro Pavarotti.

Pavarotti replied: “Thank you for writing such a wonderful song. Yet you do not need me to sing it – let Andrea sing ‘Miserere’ with you, for there is no one finer.”