Official theme song for World Youth Day 2023 released

By Vatican News staff writer

The official theme song of World Youth Day (WYD) 2023, scheduled to take place in Lisbon, Portugal, was released on Wednesday, exactly two years since the announcement of the city chosen by Pope Francis to host the next world meeting for young people.

Titled “Há Pressa no Ar” ("There's a rush in the air"), the song is inspired by the WYD 2023 theme: “Mary rose up and went with haste” (Lk 1:39). It recalls the “Yes” of Our Lady and her rush to meet her cousin Elizabeth, who was also with child.

Young people from all over the world are invited to identify with Our Lady when singing the song, “disposing themselves to serve, to the mission and to the transformation of the world” reads a statement accompanying the release of the song. The lyrics also evoke the "party" of WYD and the joy that comes from Jesus.

The theme song was recorded in two versions: one in Portuguese and the other in an international version that includes Portuguese, English, Spanish, French and Italian.

Chosen from among many

The lyrics to the WYD 2023 theme song were authored by João Paulo Vaz, a priest, while the music was composed by Pedro Ferreira, a teacher and musician, both from the Diocese of Coimbra in the center region of Portugal. The muscial arrangements were made by the musician Carlos Garcia.

“Há Pressa no Ar” was selected through a national contest open to the participation of Portuguese people of legal age. Participants in the contest were required to take their inspiration from the WYD 2023 theme, set by …

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