canarian producer pope visit hymn choir recording

Canarian Producer Leads Choir of 1,200 for Pope’s Visit Hymn

Canarian Music Producer at Helm of Papal Visit

Pablo Cebrián, an artistic producer and composer from La Laguna, Tenerife, with a formidable national reputation, has taken on the artistic direction of the Pope’s visit to Spain, scheduled for 6 to 12 June. He will oversee the central events accompanying the Pontiff’s tour. Moving from producing over sixty albums for stars like Manuel Carrasco, David Bisbal, and Aitana, Cebrián is now assembling a choir of more than a thousand people to record what aims to become the official soundtrack of the papal journey.

A Hymn Born from Collective Creation

Cebrián explains that the hymn for the papal visit was born as a collective creation, emerging from collaboration and a community spirit. The recording took place this Saturday across the four main locations of the visit—Madrid, Barcelona, Gran Canaria, and Tenerife. The piece itself, which aspires to be the anthem of the papal tour and perhaps a new modern standard like ‘Pescador de Hombres’, will be unveiled after Easter.

The song was conceived during a creative camp organised by the digital Catholic community Viva Fe, linked to Cadena 100 radio, which brought together a dozen composers from the contemporary Christian music scene. The initiative sought to generate an open, participatory proposal free from personal prominence. Cebrián insists the authorship should be understood as choral, the fruit of a joint contribution from various artists with a shared vision of faith.

Modern Sound with a Solemn Dimension

The creative process unfolded in several stages. Composers first worked in independent groups before pooling their ideas to build a definitive version integrating the strongest elements from each proposal. Cebrián recalls the result was particularly significant, proving that the collective sum surpassed any individual approach.

The hymn’s content responds to a prior brief based on pastoral guidelines from the Church organisation, though its details remain under wraps. The producer reveals the intention was to create a contemporary piece with a current sound, yet possessing the solemn dimension befitting a hymn. The dual aim was to accompany the papal visit and endure beyond the event as a song suitable for future liturgical celebrations.

The composition also dialogues with the symbolic settings of the papal itinerary, from the blessing of the Sagrada Familia’s Tower of Jesus Christ in Barcelona to the migration reality linked to the Canary Islands. The hymn seeks to reflect different spiritual and social realities without falling into overly explicit references that might limit its longevity.

Ambitious Nationwide Choral Recording

Musically, Cebrián opted for a modern production that breaks down traditional barriers between religious and popular music. The project employs current sonic standards, inspired by the international development of contemporary worship music, with special attention to emotion, arrangements, and technical quality. For the producer, sacred music can aspire to the same artistic levels as any commercial production without losing its spiritual essence.

One of the most ambitious aspects is the choral participation. Various Spanish cathedrals recorded the hymn on the same day using autonomous teams coordinated under a common direction. Subsequently, all the material will be integrated into a single sound production that could bring together around 1,200 voices from across the country, symbolising the unity of the Church around the event.

Directing Major Events with a Personal Vision

Beyond the hymn, Cebrián is the overall artistic director for the Pope’s main events, designing performances and coordinating artists for both the vigil in Barcelona and the youth meeting in Madrid. The musician approaches this challenge from a discreet personal perspective, avoiding labels or confessional protagonism. He defines himself simply as Catholic and acknowledges the project came naturally to his professional path. His aspiration, he notes, is to use music to create beauty and emotion, free from the industry’s usual pressure for commercial success.

While the official release date for the hymn remains unannounced, the project is advancing as one of the most significant cultural pieces accompanying the papal visit—conceived not as an individual work but as a collective experience meant to outlive the event itself.

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