Wednesday 9 December 2020

UPDATED WITH CAPTIONS: The wonderful children of Brent perform in 'SPARKS FLY' - an anthem for Brent in troubled times

 

 

Composed by thousands of Brent school children and young members of Brent Music Service orchestras, alongside award-winning composer James Redwood and Brent-born poet Momtaza Mehri. The Brent Anthem represents the kind of united, diverse community we have in Brent and London. Young people collaborated with musicians from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Brent Music Service in physical and virtual workshops throughout the year, writing lyrics and composing melodies to create this special song as a gift to their home borough. In celebration, a special 3-minute video and audio track titled 'Sparks Fly' has been released.

 Find out more: www.brent2020.co.uk/whats-happening/programmes/the-brent-anthem The Brent Anthem has been created by RPO Resound, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra’s community and education department, in collaboration with Brent Music Service, made possible with the generous support of John Lyon’s Charity and the Brent 2020 Culture Fund.

The Lyrics

 

RPO Brent Anthem 2020 ‘Sparks Fly’

We stand on this hill, the city a silhouette on the skyline

We stand on this hill, the city a silhouette on the skyline

We stand on this hill, the city a silhouette on the skyline

Streets like a map of hope, our song carried by the breeze

River Brent take me with you

Winding down brooks and underground streams 

Following the roar of the crowds to a rainbow of dreams.

The arch like a stretch of arms reaching across the sky

A bridge to connect us, standing proudly 

Standing proudly, flying high

This is our time this is our place 

 

Chorus 1


Whoah, Hear our voices rise 

Whoah, Sparks Fly, streamers in the sky

Colours swirling like autumn leaves

Spirits high our voices full of pride 

There is so much joy is these busy streets

Whoah... Whoah....Whoah...


We are marching to our own London beat.

We are more than a country, more than a continent

We are the whole world in a line of shops

We bring our own colours

We bring our own flavours

We’re always moving forward and we’re never going to stop.

 

Chorus 2

Sparks Fly, streamers in the sky

Colours swirling like autumn leaves. 

Spirits high, our voices full of pride

There’s so much joy is these busy streets. 

Whoah... Whoah....Whoah...

We are marching to our own London beat. 

We are marching to our own London beat. 

We are marching to our own London beat.

 

4 comments:

Unknown said...

It sounded great but I was sorry that I could make out very few of the words....and my hearing is fine.

Martin Francis said...

I have asked for a copy of the lyrics to add to the post as I recognise the problem. I am waiting for permission.

Philip Grant said...

Well done Brent Music Service, the RPO and especially the young performers from our Borough!

I really enjoyed listening to this, and seeing images of so many places I recognise (including a tile mural from the Bobby Moore Bridge subway - Brent Council, please note, the murals are part of our cultural heritage!).

The words could have been clearer, so thank you for including the lyrics in your blog, Martin. A couple of lines that I did hear clearly, and which for me sum up the place where I live, were:

'We are more than a country, more than a continent
We are the whole world one a line of shops.'

(but should that be 'in a line of shops', or 'in one line of shops'?)

Martin Francis said...

I think 'a line of shops' must right and I have edited it thus. The words were supplied directly and just copied and pasted.