The view theme song 2023 lyrics

Meet the creators of the Lisbon2023 theme song

The official theme song for WYD Lisbon 2023 has been released to the world. The song is entitled “Há Pressa No Ar,” or “There’s a Rush in the Air.” The lyrics were written by Fr.  João Paulo Vaz, and the music was composed by Pedro Ferreira, a teacher and musician. Their song was chosen from more than one hundred contest submissions.

Fr. João Paulo and Pedro are good friends, and they have worked on several musical projects together. When the WYD Lisbon 2023 committee announced the contest to select the theme song of the upcoming global event, they didn’t hesitate. João Paulo, from a parish in the city of Pombal, and Pedro both belong to the Diocese of Coimbra in the central region of Portugal. Together they created “There is a Rush in the Air”, which has been chosen as the official hymn, or theme song, for WYD Lisbon 2023.

“When they called me to say that we had won, I was out of the country. On that day, I couldn’t see anything else.  I was with a group of priests, a group of friends, but I didn’t see anyone. […] It was an immense joy,” recalls Fr. João Paulo. “WYD is like a mark in my life. To realize that the lyrics I made would be sung by the world was an immense joy.”

The creative process came from the melody that Pedro, 41, composed in “a small room, alone by the piano.” “It was thought to congregate, to gather a community,” adds the musician. It was he who, with other friends from the Parish Band, a musical group to which he belongs, asked Fr. João Paulo to write the lyrics. “Not changing the melody at all, and with the guitar in my hands, I started writing, just like I usually do,” recalled the 51-year old priest. “I started from the theme of the WYD in Panama [“I am the servant of the Lord….”], because I thought there should be a link with the Portuguese edition. Then, I also meditated on the topics suggested by Pope Francis for each year of WYD,” he explained. “The theme of the Portuguese edition […] made me revisit my relationship with the Mother and, then, the creative process of the lyrics became a deep praying moment for me.”

The musical effects in “There is a Rush in the Air” were contributed by the musician Carlos Garcia. “When listening to the song, Carlos ends up feeling the melody as his in a remarkable way. He doesn’t change the structure, the form – he enriches it in a unique way,” underlines Pedro who, among several musical projects, was the founder of the Portuguese band Anaquim.

After the selection phase, the lyrics received some adjustment. “[The WYD committee] suggested that we write another stanza with a specific reference to Elizabeth,” revealed Fr. João Paulo. “It’s really interesting also because, as the theme of the WYD in Lisbon, Mary went on with haste to meet Elizabeth. The invitation is for every single person to leave in haste as well, with the purpose of meeting so many, with so many different names.”

Source: Lisboa2023

Translation: Cassie Panzenbeck of WorldYouthDay.com

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