On July 13th, 1997, Alexander played at the Shrine of  Fatima, on the of the arrival of a famed and revered icon from Russia, that had been taken across the entirety of Russia for six months on the way to this occasion.

  In the morning he played on an organ specially installed outside the Shrine, in front of the throng of pilgrims.  The audience was immense, being half a million.

  He was then asked to play during the offertory at two major services during the evening, at which the music was relayed outside, again to an audience of half a million on each occasion.  There must be few international recitalists who have played such huge audiences.