Watch: Renée Fleming sings ‘Danny Boy’ in a moving tribute to US senator John McCain

2 September 2018, 21:44 | Updated: 2 September 2018, 22:53

John McCain funeral: Renee Fleming performs 'Danny Boy'

The internationally renowned opera singer, who grew up in Churchville, sang the Irish ballad at a memorial service for the late John McCain on Saturday.

Yesterday, Renée Fleming sang a beautifully moving version of ‘Danny Boy’, in a performance that brought Cindy McCain to tears.

Fleming sang as part of a service honouring the late US senator John McCain, at Washington National Cathedral.

See more: Renée Fleming’s performances, awards, net worth and films revealed

McCain, who died of brain cancer last Saturday (25 August), had requested that Fleming sing the song.

"I'm so incredibly touched that he asked for this and that [John] asked for me to sing it. I'm very moved by that," she told CNN in an interview.

"He stood so much for the American values that I certainly treasured growing up; for independent thinking, for collaboration and that extraordinary work ethic. He actually came back and said, 'You know what, we're not getting anything done.' I think that resonated with so many people. He also said, you know – just because you disagree with somebody, you're not their enemy. There were so many things that he stood for, I think, that we – many of us – care about," said Fleming.

Watch the full livestream of the service here.