World Youth Day 2013 Official Hymn

ronkrisman

Much of the discussion concerning the WYD 2013 music at Is This Cirque de [sic] Soleil? and World Youth Day opening mass July 23 has been rather unfocused. But perhaps a majority of the comments address the issue of musical form under the amorphous category of “pop music.” It’s the area of “de gustibus” once again.

While the “style” of the music used at the Copacabana and Aparecibo Masses is not my personal “cup of tea,” I am grateful that the approved liturgical texts were used for the Gloria, responsorial psalms, Sanctus, Agnus Dei, and that the presider at Copacabana chanted some of the prayers.

I would like to say that I think the official hymn this year is probably the best WYD hymn composed to this date. Get rid of the drums and I can even imagine it with organ accompaniment.

The range of the tune is a ninth. The text is based on Benedict XVI’s address announcing the theme of this year’s gathering. There are a number of scriptural allusions in the text.

I found this English translation at the WYD 2013 website. It is not the most accurate translation of the Portuguese original, but it’s close enough.

Hope of the dawn
(WYD Rio2013 Official Hymn)

Under the shadow, marked forever
With the sign of the Redeemer
On the hilltop, Corcovado
The whole world is filled with His love.

(Chorus)
 Christ invites us:
Come to me, be my friends
Christ, He sends us
“Be missionaries!”

Can you see it, it is springtime
We have the hope of a dawn
Can you hear Him, He is calling
Receive His gift of faith
Can you imagine, if every nation
Every tribe and tongue, this generation
Saying no to war, no to hatred
Love, peace and goodness reigns.

From the East to the West
Our house is open, has no door
our land has no fences,
There are no limits to our love
We are scattered through the world
But we all keep the very same zeal
It’s your grace that sustains us
And keeps us faithful to you

We hear you, as you say
"Go make disciples, of all nations,
A new people, in unity
Bring their hearts to me”
Proclaiming your gospel
Lives are changed, we’re not the same
A new creation, the old has gone
We know a new world will come.

I prefer the recording of the Spanish version to those in Portuguese and English. Get past the soloists – many of whom sang their parts without a lot of pop music clichés (the guy from Spain seemed to go overboard the most) – and it’s really quite presentable. Give it a listen – or two:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxcl_skiFgA

Kathy

Hahahahahahahaha

Andrew Motyka

While the “style” of the music used at the Copacabana and Aparecibo Masses is not my personal “cup of tea,” I am grateful that the approved liturgical texts were used for the Gloria, responsorial psalms, Sanctus, Agnus Dei, and that the presider at Copacabana chanted some of the prayers.

Having not experienced many non-English Masses, I can't speak to this, but could you tell me, Fr. Krisman: is it relatively common for non-approved liturgical texts to be used? I know I have heard such from some musicians of Spanish choirs in my diocese, but I thought it was anomalous, not common.

ronkrisman

@Andrew: Until the last couple of years, it was quite common in the USA that the Gloria and, less frequently, the Sanctus were sung to texts which were not the presently approved ones. OCP's Flor y Canto, second edition, contained 7 such Glorias (nos. 33, 46, 103, 105, 106, 108, 109) and a few settings of the Santo which use "Hosanna en las alturas" instead of "Hosanna en el cielo" and "en el nombre" instead of "en nombre." Most of these settings of the Gloria are of Mexican origin (a few are by Carlos Rosas of San Antonio), and a few date back to the 1960's, before the publication of the revised Missale Romanum in 1970.

The versified Glorias have almost entirely disappeared from USA publications. OCP's Flor y Canto, third edition removed all 7 that were in the second edition. GIA's Oramos Cantando / We Pray in Song contains none of them, even though at least two are widely known and may still be used (although, more and more, without printed music). The BCDW has allowed some of the older Santo's written in Mexico to continue to be published. "Alturas" and "en el Nombre" were in the approved Mexican translation before the "texto único" translation of the Ordinary of the Mass was adopted by all Spanish-speaking conferences of bishops in the mid-1980's.

It is my understanding that bishops in Mexico are attempting to promote the approved text of the Gloria.

As to other non-approved liturgical texts, there certainly was much more of that in the 1970's and 1980's. For example, before singing of the responsorial psalm became more common in Latino communities in the USA (and it is still far from being a universal practice), a versified refrain referring to the worshipper's meditating on the Word of God and walking according to its precepts day and night was sung before and after the psalm, which was read by the reader.

Gavin

"I would like to say that I think the official hymn this year is probably the best WYD hymn composed to this date."

Which is not exactly the highest praise.

I don't know, to me, it is what it is, and that's what it is. It's a pop song to promote a youth religious festival. What's it SUPPOSED to sound like??

It's like everyone here is shocked and surprised that a worldwide youth rally looks and sounds like a worldwide youth rally.

chonak

Yeah, a pop song sounds like a pop song: that's perfectly normal.

There are also apparently cover versions by individual artists in some countries, from Peru, Brazil (a samba version), and Guatemala, a slightly techno remix from Argentina, a peppy rock version from Uruguay, some nice voices from Portugal, and more, I'm sure.

Gavin

I actually like the British version. It's the best piece of contemporary Christian music I've ever heard. Almost enjoyable!

It still is what it is.

hartleymartin

My personal favourite WYD song was "we are one body." It spoke of the universal nature of the church, perhaps focussed a bit much on various groups in social justice issues, but at least it was something that people could walk around singing. These pop-song style ones are too difficult for your average catholic to sing.

One of these days, they might wake up to the idea of creating a "hymn" which could be sung as a recessional at mass...

melofluent

Martin, as your point is well taken about the hook of the Dana song, I even then remember having the visceral reaction of "Oh, another "WE ARE" song. Probably that was due to the group think, mind numbing song "Anthem" by Mr. Conry with the 16th to dotted 8th repeated blastations of "WE ARE _____WE ARE _____..." and so forth. I will take "Yoo Hoo" over that anyday.

Paul_D

Granted the text has scriptural references, but where is the art in weaving a poetic text out of scripture that is the genius of the hymn form? This text rambles. As for the music, even (especially) by pop standards, this is 100% predictable and uninteresting. That is what bothers me the most about this hymn – no really inspiring creativity. Couldn’t we do better? Don’t you think Fr. Marco Frisina’s hymn, “Jesus Christ, you are my life” (WJD 2002?) is probably the best of the bunch? It had a strong melody, structure and text that made it function well with both contemporary band arrangements and orchestral/choral settings:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YN84ss8gcfs

Kathy

Melo, I too thought of Anthem when I saw this.

Paul, at WYD 2005, "Jesus Christ, you are my life" was the only song that was sung generally by the congregation at the large Masses. It's appropriately repetitive, and it actually says something besides, you know, "imagine all the people..."

CharlesW

We are old
we are senile
we can't stand one another
yet we sing our dated songs
as we wheeze and gasp away

ronkrisman

Don’t you think Fr. Marco Frisina’s hymn, “Jesus Christ, you are my life” (WJD 2002?) is probably the best of the bunch?

Paul_D, I had not heard this one. Definitely better than 2013 Rio's.

chonak

Can somebody line up a row of links to these songs, so we can easily compare them?

ronkrisman

francis

It’s the area of “de gustibus” once again.

Here we go again. My thoughts on dis-"gustibus" are here.

http://forum.musicasacra.com/forum/discussion/5659/the-falicy-of-de-gustibus-non-disputandum-est/p1

It is very interesting that the phrase “De gustibus non disputandum est”, literally meaning, ‘there is no disputing about tastes’, has numerous times been quoted to me as the reason that Gregorian chant and Latin based music, (polyphony) should not necessarily be the style of music that is utilized in the liturgy. It is even more startling to me that it was always quoted to me by someone in clerical attire of the Latin Rite!

This is kind of akin to the scene in Toy Story where the famed cowboy, Woody, is shaking the (dismembered) arm of his estranged friend, Buzz Lightyear in an attempt to convince his cohort of other toy friends that indeed he, Woody and Buzz are still truly the best of friends. The reality is that Woody tried to deceive them all as a result of the chasm between them, (the space between two houses in which each of them stood) and the limited vision of a window that he uses as a puppetry stage. Woody tries to fake the action and voice of Buzz who truly isn’t even there in an attempt to fool them all. The pig, however, quickly blows the cover and exclaims, “something’s screwy here.”

So, using this saying when it does not refer to the Roman Catholic liturgy does not bother me at all. However, it seems that the ONLY time I have heard this phrase in my entire life is when I am ‘corrected’ by a cleric of the Catholic Church as an employee of sacred music in the Catholic Church, NOT to use Latin in the liturgy, especially when it concerns music in the Catholic Church.

This is devious, if not downright diabolical. First point being that Latin is the very language we are debating about, and IT is wielded in such a way by a cleric to discredit the very thing he should be upholding and promoting making it sound like an official declaration of Mother Church. Secondly, the preference of style in music for the Mass has absolutely nothing to do with taste. It is the preference (taste?) of the Church that Gregorian chant, polyphony and the organ are given pride of place in the liturgy.

So, we are sorry that we have offended your taste in using Gregorian Chant and/or Latin. If you want a smorgasbord, might I suggest you become a season ticket holder at the local Symphony or head down to the nearest bar?

CharlesW

How about, let's not listen to them and say we did? ;-)

Scott_W

How about, let's not listen to them and say we did?

I'll compromise. I made it to about 15 seconds of some of them before screaming uncle. I'll say I listened to them under the rule that I don't have to drink the whole gallon of milk to know that it's spoiled when one whiff will do. :)

matthewj

If I had to pick one of these I'd go with Jesus Christ, You Are My Life, which can sound quite dignified if accompanied by an organ.

francis

I am not wasting my time to listen to any of them

Ally

Wow I all of a sudden feel old since the one I know the words to (in English and French!) was five WYD's ago... And I'm only 28 ha ha. I would agree with others that Jesus Christ You Are My Life is the best of the bunch.

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