We spread our Wings SATB version - When We Collide

When We CollideA British Songbook

About the Songbook

When We Collide is a songbook written by the people of the United Kingdom about our collective

identity in the wake of the EU referendum. This historic moment has forced the British nation to re-

evaluate how we defne ourselves, how we distribute power, our place within the EU and our

relationship with the rest of the world.

This songbook moves away from traditional notions of Britishness and uncovers what is actually

important to this nation; what we care about, what we fear, and what we love. We are no longer a

nation characterised by patriotism and a stif upper lip. The movement of people and ideas around the

UK and the world has signalled an enormous shift in our national character.

In order to start untangling this complex personality, we spoke to people in schools and community

choirs across England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. 24 groups and over 600 people took part

in these storytelling workshops including fshermen from Yorkshire, teenagers in Grimsby, a cross

community choir just outside of Belfast, and a police choir in Edinburgh. We talked about the moments

that defned us personally, the moments that defned our communities, and the moments that have

defned our nation. There were tears and laughter – stories that brought us closer together, and stories

that showed us how quickly this nation is changing.

This songbook has been written using the words spoken to us. Every word, every phrase and every

story was told in our workshops. Some of the songs focus on specifc groups or places, others bring

together themes and ideas which resonated across the country. Each song represents a moment, a

pattern or an idea which describes a signifcant facet of modern British identity. Altogether, the

songbook gives a snapshot of the character of Britain at this pivotal moment in our nation’s history.

When We Collide was commissioned by Sky Arts as part of Art 50 and created with support from Arts

Council England.

We Spread Our Wings

Rehearsal Notes

• The text of the verses is broken up into short musical phrases but should be felt as a

continuous stream of prose. Try reading through the full text with the choir before singing it so

that the full sentences and context are understood before adding the music.

• The choruses have diferent structures each time including repeat bars. Highlight this with your

singers to ensure that the path through each one is clear.

We Spread Our Wings

Words by the Royal Opera House Community Chorus

Lyrics by Rebecca Hanbury

Music by Alex Groves

This song is based on a story told by a woman in the Royal Opera House Community Chorus. It is a

celebration of youth, friendship and life in Essex in the 1950s. She spoke about how the world felt so

much bigger; moving to Clacton-on-Sea was a huge adventure, and Pakistan (home of her frst

boyfriend) was impossibly far away. This song shows us how much this country has changed, but it also

echoes an obsession with the sea which still resonates with people today (in fact – stories about the sea

featured in all 24 workshops!) Britain hardly “rules the waves” these days, but the people of this island

nation still have a carnal draw to the ocean.

At seventeen,

we thought we should

spread our wings

and go and work

as chambermaids

in Clacton.

Before we turned

the beds down,

We went driving on the beach

We went jiving on the sand

There was a boy

but we parted ways.

His home was far away

in those days.

So I cut the cords

and stayed.

I am driving on the beach

I am jiving on the sand

Ella Fitzgerald on

the wind up

gramophone.

Sixty years later,

I looked. It still has

the Clacton sand

inside.

We are driving on the beach

We are jiving on the sand

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We Spread Our Wings

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We spread our Wings SATB version - When We Collide

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Transcript of We spread our Wings SATB version - When We Collide