A young London-based Catholic has made the first British submission to the World Youth Day song competition.
Cherrie Anderson, a 27-year-old London singer, became the first Briton to submit an entry into the World Youth Day Madrid 2011 song competition. If her song, “Faith in You”, wins the competition, which is based on people casting their votes on the competition website, it will be performed live at World Youth Day this summer in Madrid in Spain.
The singer entered a music video into the competition which features a young person praying in the Slipper Chapel at Walsingham, which Miss Anderson said was used because of the shrine’s importance for British Catholics. Miss Anderson, who wrote and performed “Faith in You” at her own initiative is also a member of the Catholic band Ooberfuse, which makes a fusion of eastern and western sounds. She said she had the band’s full support for the project.
Miss Anderson said: “I wrote the song inspired by the WYD theme Planted and built up in Jesus Christ, firm in the Faith and particularly by Pope Benedict XVI’s message for WYD Madrid 2011, where he uses Jeremiah’s image of a tree planted by a stream whose roots reach out to be nourished and sustained by the flowing water. “ Ooberfuse also prepared songs for the papal visit to Britain in September, which were played during the youth vigil in Hyde Park.
Miss Anderson has been singing with the band for two years and is its lead singer although she has been singing since she was seven. Together with her fellow band members Hal St John and Cornel Sorian, Miss Anderson recorded the song “Heart’s Cry” which was named the youth anthem for the Papal visit Miss Anderson, who has already been to World Youth Day in Manila in the Philippines, said she hoped people vote for the song in the competition.
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