Andy Drozdziak
Famous tenor Alfie Boe has spoken out about his Catholic faith and the importance of Lourdes in his life.
Widely regarded as one of Britain’s best tenors, Boe has become something of a West End star, starring in Les Misérables, Finding Neverland and Baz Luhrmann’s La bohème on Broadway. Although he has sold over two million albums and performed with superstars like Michael Ball in Las Vegas, he has spoken fondly of his Fleetwood upbringing and his Irish Catholic family.
Speaking to The Times about his trips abroad, he said: “My first trip abroad was rather unusual — a pilgrimage to Lourdes in France with my mum, who was an Irish Catholic.”
“I was only 11, but it solidified my beliefs at the time, and even now I still have faith.”
The youngest of nine children, Alfie Boe, 50, attended St Wulstan’s and St Edmund’s Primary School and Cardinal Allen Catholic High School in Fleetwood. He has spoken often of his Catholic faith. Last year, he told the Financial Times of his belief in an afterlife.
“I grew up in a strong Irish Catholic faith,” he said. “I’ve lost friends, I’ve lost family members — my own father — and I believe they haven’t gone, they’ve just moved to a different room. There’s going to be a moment when we all meet again.”
Boe’s latest album, Open Arms: The Symphonic Songbook, which feature a selection of rock classics, was released last year. He will be touring the UK at the end of May and in June.
Picture of Alfie Boe: Wikimedia Commons