“This is a rare cultural moment where the world stops and collectively tunes in. It is a message of unity and grace for all of humanity,” Pharell Williams, director of the historic concert, stated.
The concert
“Grace for the World” commemorated the conclusion of the third World Meeting on Human Fraternity as well as the Catholic Jubilee Holy Year, which marks the 2,025th anniversary of Jesus Christ’s incarnation.
During the world meeting, Nobel laureates were gathered to talk about everything from agriculture to the economy to sports. It concluded with the historic concert in St. Peter’s Square.
The concert was co-directed by Pharrell Williams and Andrea Bocelli, marking the first musical event of this nature to take place at the Vatican, which is open to the public.
“Let us shine a spotlight on humanity with music from the very heart of Christianity and the most important spiritual square, reaching the entire world with a single message of brotherhood and peace,” Bocelli stated.
The concert took place five years after Bocelli performed live from the Duomo of Milan on Easter Sunday, barely one month into the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Performers for the concert
The concert brought together several performances from pop stars across various genres.
The co-directors, Williams and Bocelli, also participated in separate performances.
It opened with Bocelli and Teddy Swims who performed their rendition of the song “Amazing Grace”.
John Legend performed “Glory” and “Bridge over Troubled Water”.
Jeniffer Hudson sang her new song, “Find the Love,” and had a duet with Bocelli with the song “The Prayer”.
Furthermore, the event also featured Karol G, Jelly Roll, K-pop group GOT7 member BamBam, and Angelique Kidjo, and an international choir directed by Adam Blackstone with the Choir of the Diocese of Rome led by Maestro Marco Frisina.
Drones light up the concert
The concert culminated through a spectacular drone performance using around 3,000 drones to reproduce several images in the sky above the basilica.
With approval from the Holy See, Nova Sky Stories planned the largest drone expo in Europe.
The drone show reproduced the famous finger-touch of God creating Adam, along with a drone version of the Pieta and a portrait of the late Pope Francis.
Along with a drone rendition of the Pieta and a portrait of the late Pope Francis, the drone show also recreated the well-known painting, Michelangelo’s “The Creation of Adam,” which can be seen on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
The show ended with the drones filling the sky with the word “JOY”.
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