Parisian opera singer belts out balcony tunes during lockdown

An opera singer in Paris is giving daily concerts from his balcony window to lift his neighbours' spirits during the nationwide lockdown enforced to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Opera tenor Stephane Senechal has taken to opening his windows and belting out classic songs every day at 7 p.m., serenading neighbours forced to stay inside by the lockdown the government put in place two weeks ago.

"I'm not a doctor, I'm not a hero, I'm not a hospital staff. The only thing that I know how to do is to sing, to try to bring a bit of joy," Senechal told Reuters TV. Senechal, 43, has been doing this since the French lockdown started on March 17. He said he was looking for a way to entertain and encourage his neighbours, most of whom are elderly.

On Wednesday, Senechal belted out the hit "Somewhere" from the musical "West Side Story," dedicating it to health workers around the world on the frontline of what President Emmanuel Macron has called the "war" on the coronavirus. French health authorities reported 231 new deaths from coronavirus on Wednesday, taking the total to 1,331.

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