“Europe Shine A Light” Show: The 41 Eurovision 2020 acts to sing together ESC winning entry “Love Shine a Light”

Following the heartbreaking and unprecedent cancellation of the Eurovision song Contest 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic , EBU has decided to fill the gap with the special show: Europe Shine a Light aiming to honor the 41 delegations and bring people together through music. Now more details are revealed regarding the show.
Progressively, the organisers are revealing what we will see unfolding during this special show. It has been revealed that all 41 Eurovision 2020 acts will sing together the Eurovision hit ” Love Shine A Light”. The 41 artists will deliver all together the specific ESC winning entry from the places each is based at, as movement restrictions don’t allow any other option.
The choice of song is no surprise taking in mind that the show’s title is inspired by the specific song. Further more the lyrics of the song convey an ecumenical message of unity, peace and love, values most necessary to the world in current times to get through the difficult and painful coronavirus pandemic. As 41 acts from across Europe and Australia will be singing the “Shine A Light” they’ll be inviting humanity to share the same values and unite as one in this combat with optimism.
The special show “Europe Shine A Light” is set for Saturday, May 16 at 21:00 CET and will be hosted by this year’s ESC 2020 hosts, Chantal Janzen, Edsilia Rombley (ESC 1998 & 2007) and Jan Smit.
The Song ” Love Shine A Light”
“Love Shine a Light” was the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 1997, performed by Katrina and the Waves as the 1997 Eurovision entrant by the UK and the lead single from the album Walk on Water. It is the group’s biggest success since “Walking on Sunshine” 12 years earlier. This was the UK’s last victory in the contest.
The song was composed by the group’s guitarist and regular songwriter Kimberley Rew following a request from the brother of the group’s drummer Alex Cooper for an anthem for Samaritans in recognition of the thirtieth anniversary of the Swindon branch of that organization – Cooper’s brother being a member of that branch. In a 1997 interview Katrina and the Waves leading vocalist Katrina Leskanich indicated that it was members of the Samaritans who opined that “Love Shine a Light” “was the type of song which would win the Eurovision Song Contest and [so] at the last minute, [Katrina and the Waves] submitted the song with our £250 [entrance fee]” for consideration to vie in the Great British Song Contest, the national preselection round for the UK in Eurovision 1997.
One of eight songs aired in the Great British Song Contest semi-final broadcast on BBC Radio 2 on 7 February 1997, “Love Shine a Light” was one of four songs advanced by televote to the Great British Song Contest final. The Great British Song Contest final was a live performance show broadcast by BBC TV on 9 March 1997, at the conclusion of which “Love Shine a Light” was announced as the 1997 UK entrant in Eurovision, the song having received 69,834 televotes – 11,138 more than the second-place candidate entry.
Eurovision 1997 final
On the night of the Eurovision 1997 final – held on 3 May 1997 in the Point Theatre, Dublin – “Love Shine a Light” was performed 24th in a field of 25 songs being preceded by the Croatian entry: “Probudi me”, with the Icelandic entry: “Minn hinsti dans”, following as the final competitive number of Eurovision 1997. The final vote tally for “Love Shine a Light” at Eurovision 1997 set a record unsurpassed until 2004, when the introduction of the semi-final greatly expanded the number of countries voting in the final (indeed, entire top three polled more than 227 points that year). It also received the maximum 12 points from ten countries, a feat not matched until 2005 and not beaten until 2009. Lets enjoy that wonderful performance in Dublic:
Here are the full lyrics of the songs , a factor that urged the organisers to use it as the anthem song of the special show “Europe Shine A Light” :
Let the love light carry, let the love light carry
Light up the magic in every little part let our love
Shine a light in every corner of our hearts
Let the love light carry, let the love light carry
Like the mighty river flowing from the stream
Let our love shine a light in every comer of our dreams
All shine a light to light the way
Brothers and sisters in every little part
Let our love shine a light in every corner of our hearts
Let the love light carry let the love light carry
Light up the magic for every boy and girl
Let our love shine a light in every corner of the world
All shine a light to light the way
Brothers and sisters in every little part
Let our love shine a light in every corner of our hearts