Music at the EWF 2024

John Rutter CBE and the Taplow Choirs – Give me Wings

The Education World Forum has enjoyed some wonderful musical performances over the years, reminding us of the importance and the magic of music education.

Many choirs, bands and orchestras only exist because of the dedication and commitment of some truly wonderful individuals. Taplow Choirs was set up in 2004 by Gillian Dibden MBE and Philip Viveash, to provide quality in choral training through a structure of four choirs: Children's, Boys', Girls' and Youth Choirs. The two younger choirs are open to all singers, whilst the older groups admit members after audition. All the choirs have become well known in the area, they have toured in a number of European countries, and the Youth Choir will visit Helsinki and Tallinn this summer whilst the Taplow Girls' Choir had success in the BBC 'Choir of the Year' competition, when they reached the Category Final.

The 45 members come from over 20 schools and cover the 10-15 age group. They first worked with John Rutter at his 'Celebration Concert' as part of the Windsor Festival in February 2024. For the EWF performance, they are joined by some guest singers from Taplow Boys' Choir.

John Rutter was born in London and studied music at Clare College, Cambridge, returning there as Director of Music from 1975–79, directing the college chapel choir in various recordings and broadcasts. Since 1979 he has divided his time between composition and conducting. As one of the great composers of today his compositions, including such concert-length works as Requiem, Magnificat, Mass of the Children, The Gift of Life, and Visions, are performed around the world.

John wrote Give me Wings as the anthem for the Education World Forum, reflecting the very purpose and aspiration of EWF, and conducted it for the openings of EWF2012, EWF2018 and he returns this year. His music has featured in a number of British royal occasions, including the two most recent royal weddings. He edits the Oxford Choral Classics series, conducts internationally, holds a Lambeth Doctorate in Music, and in 2007 was awarded a CBE for services to music. In September 2023, he received the Ivors Academy Fellowship, joining the prestigious list of 24 Fellows.

Give me Wings

Words and Music by John Rutter

Give me wings and I’ll soar like an eagle

Bear me up till I float in the blue;

Give me mountains to climb

Give me poems to rhyme

Give me dreams, and I’ll make them come true

Give me hope and I’ll build a tomorrow

Build it strong and as big as the sky

With a place there for everyone;

We can build it – you and I.

Give my wings and I’ll soar like an eagle

Give me dreams and I’ll make them come true

If I stand on your shoulders

I can see a whole world made new.

Give me friends I can take on my journey

Who’ll be there for the times when I fall;

For the thoughts that I share

Give me people who care

Give me love – or I’m nothing at all.

Give me faith to imagine a future

Where the earth and its peoples are one.

Being diff’rent together

Like a rainbow in the sun

Give me wings and I’ll soar like an eagle

Give me dreams and I’ll make them come true

If I stand on your shoulders

I can see a whole world made new.

Give me wings and I’ll soar like an eagle

Give me dreams and I’ll make them come true;

Hold me high on your shoulders

Touch the sky on your shoulders

And I’ll build a new world with you

We can change the old world to new.

Reproduced by courtesy of Oxford University Press