FROM
IDOL TO PILGRIM
WORDS Lee Beasley
PHOTO Brett Brogan
When Liza Shulberg was asked to become the Melbourne ‘face’ of World Youth Day, she went from Australian Idol Contestant 2004 to one of Victoria’s goodwill Ambassadors for World Youth Day 2005.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of World Youth Day, to be held in Cologne, Germany in August, but it also represents the beginning of a new era due to the recent death of Pope John Paul II.
In 1985, Pope John Paul II responded to the United Nations ‘Year of Youth’ by initiating a World Youth Day in Rome celebrated on Palm Sunday. Since then thousands of young people have gathered biannually to celebrate World Youth Day in various locations around the world.
Liza’s journey towards World Youth Day started when her extended family choir known as ‘The Re-Joyce Family Choir’, along with the local youth group, performed Jesus Christ Super Star. It was a fundraiser for a new hall at Liza’s parish, St Gerard’s, Dandenong, on the outskirts of Melbourne.
Speaking with the members of the youth group, Liza was inspired by their experiences of past World Youth Days. ‘I had no idea how huge it was. It was so interesting to hear how young people so joyfully talk about sleeping in the mud and waiting [to see the Pope]. I thought it was something I wanted to be a part of.’
Last year Liza’s music led her to the popular reality show Australian Idol. She made it into the top 30 and became a familiar face to the nation before being voted off. ‘When they invited me back for the wild card, I was excited and I went, but my heart just wasn’t in it.’ She realised her heart belonged to gospel music and to the choir. ‘I get the best feeling singing with my family.’
Liza was still in Sydney working on Idol when an old friend, Gary Pinto, lead singer of the 1990’s R&B band CDB, rang her to ask if she would sing on a CD he was compiling for World Youth Day. The CD is called Soulitude and features two original tracks and three classic covers. ‘I think even though Gary really enjoyed the band–he has such a passion for singing–it wasn’t as fulfilling as writing and performing Christian music. I feel the same.’
Gary’s brother Brad, also a member of CDB, wrote the song, ‘We Have Come To Worship Him’. Gary performed the number along with The Re-Joyce Family Choir and Liza sang the classic hymn ‘How Great Thou Art’.
Soulitude was officially launched on the 19th of March and although the launch wasn’t highly publicised, Liza felt the Spirit present.
‘I was just so overwhelmed in performing [‘How Great Thou Art’] live for the first time, I bawled my eyes out. That’s never happened before where I have been affected by something I’ve sung.’
‘We Have Come to Worship Him’ has been chosen over hundreds of other applicants’ offerings, to be performed at one of the festivals surrounding this year's World Youth Day.
‘I’m hoping to go. How often do you get an opportunity like that? When they invited us, they said, "We love that song and we would love for you all to perform".’
In the meantime, Liza continues to draw strength from the youth around her, marvelling at their resilience during the current changes in the church. ‘When I saw them [after Pope John Paul II’s death] they were very joyful that he had made his home-coming.’ The nature of World Youth Day is a positive one for Liza; she believes that young people are so enthusiastic that not even his death is going to keep them down. And like them, Liza looks forward to the possibility of welcoming Pope Benedict XVI in Cologne in August.
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