World In Union
"World in Union" is a theme song for the Rugby World Cup. The song's lyrics are by Charlie Skarbek, set to the melody "Thaxted" by Gustav Holst.
Skarbek was commissioned to write the song by World Rugby (then the International Rugby Football Board) for the 1991 Rugby World Cup, held in England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and France. It was first performed by New Zealand soprano Kiri Te Kanawa, and has since been performed and recorded by various other musicians.
The song's melody, "Thaxted", was originally written in 1914 as the middle section of "Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity", a movement from Holst's orchestral suite The Planets. Although the melody was originally wordless, it was later adapted as a hymn tune by Holst for its use in the 1921 British/Anglican patriotic hymn, "I Vow to Thee, My Country", using words by Sir Cecil Spring Rice. The melody has subsequently been paired with numerous other religious texts and secular lyrics.
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