WCC NEWS: Gathering of Advent songs from across the world will unite people in hope

As a new liturgical cycle begins, the World Council of Churches (WCC), in partnership with Red Crearte, a Latin American network that produces spiritual and liturgical material, is creating a collection of songs from across the world.

Ivars Kupcis/WCC, 2019.

1 December 2020

The initiative, “A Common Song for Advent, Christmas & Epiphany” seeks to make visible our unity in diversity through the gift of music. This is achieved by highlighting the musical contributions of composers from different confessional families and cultural backgrounds. All the music is based on a common text but presented in various languages. Prepared with the support of the WCC’s Spiritual Life programme and the WCC-COVID19 support team, the songs will be gradually shared at the WCC YouTube channel until 6 January, 2021. Created in 2004, Red Crearte is a space for women and men of various denominations and countries who specialize in liturgy, music and liturgical art. It has collaborated since its inception with the WCC in various initiatives, such as earlier this year, the common creative process of songs for the Easter season. “We hope that the project will encourage the celebratory life of our communities around the world, uniting in the hope of a flourishing of life in fullness for all,” said Rev. Gerardo Obermann, coordinator of Red Crearte.  Rev. Dr Mikie Roberts, the WCC programme executive for Spiritual Life, concurs suggesting that, “At this time when we have become very conscious of our common human fragility, we must also ensure, during this season to celebrate the shared hope of eternal life grounded in the manifestation of the Incarnation.”  Advent song 1: "Florescer em esperança", by Louis Marcelo Illenseer, from Brazil Advent song 2: "Vi anar dig. Jesus, i ljusen", by Per Harling, from Sweden In 2020 Christmas message, WCC puts forth “fragile hope” and “sound of angels in the air” - WCC news release (30 November 2020)

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