Busker’s Ordinary Day Turns Magical After Surprise Duet with Phantom of the Opera Star
Sometimes, the most unforgettable moments happen when you least expect them—and that’s exactly what occurred for Irish performer Stephen Barry on the cobbled streets of London’s Covent Garden.
Stephen Barry, a talented tenor from Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland, earned a scholarship to the prestigious Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in London, where he went on to complete a Master’s Degree in Musical Theatre.
With a remarkable vocal range stretching from bottom E to top D, Barry has the kind of voice that fills concert halls—but like many dedicated artists, he found himself juggling passion and practicality.
Despite his scholarship, the cost of living and studying in London left him in debt, and he began busking to make ends meet.
On November 10, 2016, Stephen was performing a song from The Phantom of the Opera in Covent Garden, when a woman in the audience made a bold request: would he sing All I Ask of You next?
Stephen, thinking it best not to perform two songs from the same show in succession, politely declined.
“With my most withering, scathing tone, I told her I can’t be doing two Phantom songs in a row,” he later joked.
But the woman didn’t walk away. Instead, she offered to sing it with him.
Stephen, skeptical but curious, asked, “Are you any good?”
Her response wasn’t in words—it was in music.
As soon as the pair began singing the iconic duet, it became instantly clear that this wasn’t just a casual passerby.
In fact, the woman was none other than Denni Sayers, a renowned soprano who had previously performed the role of Christine Daaé in professional productions of The Phantom of the Opera.
Their spontaneous street performance quickly drew a crowd. Phones came out, voices hushed, and what followed was a powerful, pitch-perfect rendition of All I Ask of You—right there on the street.
