Write a song by and for the young people of the Diocese of Parramatta and help give our pilgrims a song for their World Youth Day journey to Seoul, South Korea in 2027!
World Youth Day (WYD) begins in our local communities and, after the pilgrimage, comes home with us. We’re looking for an original song that brings young people together, inspires them along the way and becomes part of our shared WYD experience. Your song could become part of our WYD story!
Entries must be original songs inspired by the WYD Seoul 2027 theme, “Take courage! I have overcome the world” (Jn 16:33). Young people and young adults aged 16–35 can enter individually or as a group, with all musical genres welcome. Your song will be sung by our Parramatta pilgrims and could potentially reach thousands of young pilgrims.
“Take courage! I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33
The late Pope Francis left us with this powerful theme for World Youth Day 2027. This verse, spoken by Jesus to his disciples at the Last Supper, reminds us of the irrevocable truth that despite the challenges of the world, Christ has already conquered fear, sin, and death. It is a call to hope and courage rooted in faith in the resurrection—not a passive optimism, but a bold confidence grounded in the living presence of Christ.
Read more: wydseoul.org/en/introduction/theme
Eligibility
- Open to young persons and young adults (16 – 35 years old) who live, work, study, or serve in a community within the Diocese of Parramatta
- Individuals OR groups can submit a song entry
What You’ll Win
- Acknowledgement as the composer of the official World Youth Day 2027 song for the Diocese of Parramatta
- Recognition & achievement – having your song selected at a Diocesan-wide competition is a significant accomplishment that can strengthen your music portfolio and lead to future opportunities
- WYD27 Legacy – your song will become a key part of thousands of young people’s lasting memories of faith during their World Youth Day 2027 pilgrimage experience
- Evangelisation through music – through your song, you can serve the Church using your gifts and talents, sharing your faith in a creative and contemporary way that resonates with other young people
Content Requirements
- An original composition (lyrics and music) inspired by the WYD Seoul 2027 theme:
Take courage! I have overcome the world. (Jn 16:33) - Song must be 2- 3 minutes long
- Please note, AI is not permitted in the use of this competition (see policies for more information) .
Genres
- All musical genres welcome
Submission Period
- Submissions open September 16, 2026, at 9am AEST
- Submissions close December 16, 2026, at 5pm AEST
- Evaluation Process – mid to late January
- Winner contacted on February 13, 2027
- Winner announced February 14, 2027, at 12pm AEST
Maximum Entries
- 1 song per individual OR group*
*Participants can submit an individual entry and also be a part of a group entry at the same time. Maximum of 1 individual entry and 1 group entry.
Submission Materials
Participants are to submit the following files:
- Audio file of the song (MP3 or WAV) (Required)
- The recording should include lead vocals and at least one accompanying instrument
- PDF file of the lyrics and chord charts of the song (Required)
- PDF file of lead sheet music (Preferable)
Evaluation Criteria
Entries will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
| Section | Criteria |
|---|---|
| Reflection of the WYD Seoul 2027 theme | • The song shows a faithful and well-discerned reflection of the WYD Seoul 2027 theme, “Take courage! I have overcome the world!” John 16:33 |
| Artistic merit and originality | • The artistic statement demonstrates insightful consideration and clear intent in the song’s development. • The song’s originality demonstrates creativity and offers a fresh perspective on the scriptural theme, which is evident in its lyrics and/or musical arrangement. |
| Singability and ease of learning for congregations | • The song can be easily taught to and learned by a congregation. • The song would be able to enhance participation of a congregation and build a sense of community (use of communal language, e.g. ‘we’/ ‘us’) |
Evaluation Process
First Round: Preliminary Screening
- Review of submitted documents and audio files to ensure compliance with contest requirements (i.e. eligibility, completeness of materials). All entries will be screened by Olivia Tan (Mission Enhancement Team – Administration and Project Coordinator).
Second Round: Comprehensive Review
- Detailed evaluation of qualified entries by a panel that is composed of members within the Diocese of Parramatta:
- Eric Grella (Mission Enhancement Team – Music Formation Facilitator)
- Eleanor Bonwick (Catholic Youth Parramatta – Manager)
- Francoise Marrier D’unienville (Manager Arts Learning – CAPTIVATE, Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese)
- A shortlist of the most suitable songs will be selected.
Third Round: Final Selection
- Shortlisted songs will be forwarded to another panel for the final stage of discernment and approval. The final panel will consist of:
- Most Rev Vincent Long Van Nguyen OFM Conv (Bishop of the Diocese of Parramatta)
- Very Rev Peter G Williams VG (Vicar General) OR Very Rev Fernando Montano VG EV PP (Vicar General)
- Rachael Kama (Mission Enhancement Team – Diocesan Pastoral Plan Strategy Lead)
Contact
- For enquiries regarding the Diocese of Parramatta World Youth Day songwriting competition, participants can contact [email protected]
Policies
Use of AI (Artificial Intelligence)
- Participants are not permitted to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to generate lyrics, music or any content related to the song for the following reasons:
- The use of AI-generated lyrics, music or content does not align with the spirit of the songwriting competition, where young people are encouraged to use their personal God-given talents and creativity to create a song that aligns with the theme and experience of World Youth Day.
- The use of AI-generated lyrics, music or content to create the song creates uncertainty around authorship, privacy concerns and copyright ownership, and therefore is not permitted for use in this competition.
Privacy
- Personal information (Name, Age, Contact Details, Parish/School/Movement, Artistic Statements) will be used for the purposes of administering the competition, and participants may request access to or correction of their information in accordance with the Diocese of Parramatta Privacy Policy.
- Personal information will be collected via the Diocese of Parramatta WYD website, and this information will be forwarded to and stored in the metparracatholic.org inbox.
- Personal information (Name, Age, Contact Details, Parish/School/Movement) will not be disclosed to any members of the judging panel to ensure fairness in judging.
- Personal information of the winning songwriter(s) (Name and Parish/School/Movement ONLY) will be used for the purpose of acknowledging the winning entry on the Diocese of Parramatta social media, website platforms and copyright acknowledgements.
- Additional information (photographs, biography, print or media interviews) may be requested from the winning songwriter(s) and will only be used for promotional and media purposes if consent is given by the winning songwriter(s). Additional information will not be requested if the songwriter is under 18.
- All participants will be contacted via the contact information provided to be informed of the outcome of the competition.
- All submitted materials from unsuccessful participants will be securely deleted when no longer required, in accordance with the Diocese of Parramatta’s Records and Retention Disposal Policy.
Conflict of Interest
- To ensure the evaluation process remains fair, submissions will be anonymised in the initial screening process, before being sent to the panel for judging in the second round.
- The judging panel will be composed of different members within the Diocese of Parramatta and each panelist will use the above evaluation criteria to judge each submission.
Use of Song
- The winning song will be used solely for the purpose of enhancing pilgrim formation and pilgrimage experience for the Diocese of Parramatta’s pilgrimage to World Youth Day 2027 in Seoul, Korea.
- The song will be used during communal gatherings for pre-, during and post-pilgrimage events, and may be used in liturgical settings.
- The Diocese of Parramatta will not use the song for commercial gain or profit-making purposes.
- Any use of the song by the Diocese of Parramatta will be limited to liturgical, pastoral, educational, promotional or other non-commercial purposes consistent with the purpose of the competition.
Rights Granted to the Diocese of Parramatta
- In submitting an entry, participants assign the Diocese of Parramatta all copyright in the submitted song, while retaining the right to be recognised as the song’s author.
- As the copyright owner, the Diocese of Parramatta may exercise all rights comprised in that copyright, including the right to adapt, translate, reproduce, communicate, publish, perform and authorise others to use the song.
- The Diocese of Parramatta may, in exercising those rights, produce recordings of the song and promote, distribute, and otherwise make use of the song in any format or medium.
- The Diocese of Parramatta will exercise those rights in accordance with the Diocese of Parramatta’s Copyright Policy.
- Participants consent to the Diocese of Parramatta making reasonable modifications to the text or music of the song as deemed necessary for liturgical, pastoral, or practical purposes.
- If a participant is unsuccessful, all rights assigned to the Diocese of Parramatta in relation to the participant’s submitted materials will automatically revert to the participant upon completion of the competition.
- All copies of an unsuccessful participant’s submitted materials will be securely deleted at the completion of the competition, in accordance with the Diocese of Parramatta’s Records and Retention Disposal Policy.
