"World in Union" is a

theme song Theme music is a musical composition that is often written specifically for radio programming, television shows, video games, or films and is usually played during the title sequence, opening credits, closing credits, and in some instances at ...

for the

Rugby World Cup The Rugby World Cup is a men's rugby union tournament contested every four years between the top international teams. The tournament is administered by World Rugby, the sport's international governing body. The winners are awarded the Webb E ...

. Its melody is "

Thaxted Thaxted is a town and civil parish in the Uttlesford district of north-west Essex, England. The town is in the valley of the River Chelmer, not far from its source in the nearby village of Debden, and is 97 metres (318 feet) above sea level (whe ...

", from the middle section of "Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity", a movement from

Gustav Holst Gustav Theodore Holst (born Gustavus Theodore von Holst; 21 September 1874 – 25 May 1934) was an English composer, arranger and teacher. Best known for his orchestral suite ''The Planets'', he composed many other works across a range ...

's ''

The Planets ''The Planets'', Op. 32, is a seven- movement orchestral suite by the English composer Gustav Holst, written between 1914 and 1917. In the last movement the orchestra is joined by a wordless female chorus. Each movement of the suite is name ...

'', and was originally adapted by Holst for its use in the British/ Anglican

patriotic Patriotism is the feeling of love, devotion, and sense of attachment to one's country. This attachment can be a combination of many different feelings, language relating to one's own homeland, including ethnic, cultural, political or histor ...

hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hy ...

, "

I Vow to Thee, My Country "I Vow to Thee, My Country" is a British patriotic hymn, created in 1921, when music by Gustav Holst had a poem by Sir Cecil Spring Rice set to it. The music originated as a wordless melody, which Holst later named "Thaxted", taken from the " ...

", using words by Sir

Cecil Spring Rice Sir Cecil Arthur Spring Rice, (27 February 1859 – 14 February 1918) was a British diplomat who served as British Ambassador to the United States from 1912 to 1918, as which he was responsible for the organisation of British efforts to end ...

Kiri Te Kanawa version

New Zealand operatic soprano Kiri Te Kanawa recorded the first version of this song for the

1991 Rugby World Cup The 1991 Rugby World Cup was the second edition of the Rugby World Cup, and was jointly hosted by England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and France: at the time, the five European countries who participated in the Five Nations Championship. This was ...

. Her version peaked at 4 on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

, No. 5 in Ireland, and No. 10 in New Zealand.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Shirley Bassey and Bryn Terfel version

Shirley Bassey and

Bryn Terfel Sir Bryn Terfel Jones, (; born 9 November 1965) (known professionally as Bryn Terfel) is a Welsh bass-baritone opera and concert singer. Terfel was initially associated with the roles of Mozart, particularly '' Figaro'', '' Leporello'' and '' ...

released a version of the song on 11 October 1999. It was mimed live by at the opening of the series in June 1999, with Bassey wearing a gown designed on the

Welsh flag The flag of Wales ( cy, Baner Cymru or , meaning 'the red dragon') consists of a red dragon passant on a green and white field. As with many heraldic charges, the exact representation of the dragon is not standardised and many renderings e ...

. Three versions are featured on the single: a duet with Bassey and Terfel, Bassey's solo version and a version which features the choirs only. The duet version is performed partially in Welsh by Terfel. The official video was filmed at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff and features various other Welsh landscapes. The single reached No. 35 on the UK Singles Chart in October 1999. UK 3 track maxi CD single # "World in Union" ( Duet:

and Shirley Bassey) – 3:42 # "World in Union" (Shirley Bassey) – 3:45 # "World in Union" (Welsh Mountain Mix) – 3:45 Personnel * Shirley Bassey – vocal (tracks 1 and 2) * Bryn Terfel – vocal (track 1) * The Black Mountain Male Chorus – choir (all tracks) * The Morriston Rugby Club Choir – choir (all tracks) * Robert Fardell and Charlie Skarbek – backing singers (track 2) * The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra – orchestra * Llio Rhydderch – Welsh triple harp *

Troy Donockley Troy Donockley (born 30 May 1964) is an English composer and multi-instrumentalist most known for his playing of Uilleann pipes. Having performed with many artists as a session player, he is most notable as a member of Finnish symphonic metal ba ...

–

uilleann pipes The uilleann pipes ( or , ) are the characteristic national bagpipe of Ireland. Earlier known in English as "union pipes", their current name is a partial translation of the Irish language terms (literally, "pipes of the elbow"), from thei ...

* David Thomas – drums * Simon Hale – orchestral arrangements *

Tim Rhys-Evans Timothy Rhys-Evans MBE FRWCMD (born c. 1972) is a Welsh conductor and best known as the founder and musical director of the choir Only Men Aloud! and Only Boys Aloud. He also formed the children's choir Only Kids Aloud in 2012. Rhys-Evans, fr ...

and D. Huw Rees – choral arrangements

Hayley Westenra version

The official album of the 2011 Rugby World Cup in

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

was launched on 9 August by New Zealand soprano

Hayley Westenra Hayley Dee Westenra (born 10 April 1987) is a New Zealand classical crossover singer and songwriter. Her first internationally released album, ''Pure'', reached number one on the UK classical charts in 2003 and has sold more than two million c ...

. It was released by Universal Music on 26 August, and included 22 tracks recorded by classical artists. Westenra had not only recorded the song in English and Māori, as heard on this album, but also in French, Italian, and Japanese. It got No. 1 album position on the Classical Compilation Albums Chart of

Official Charts The Official Charts (legal name: The Official UK Charts Company Limited) is a British inter-professional organization that compiles various "official" record charts in the United Kingdom, Ireland and France. In the United Kingdom, its charts inc ...

as well as the Classic FM chart after releasing in UK. The Official Album track listing # World In Union –

# Swing Low '99 – Arr. C. Skarbek/ T.R. Evans –

Russell Watson Russell Watson is an English tenor who has released singles and albums of both operatic-style and pop songs. He began singing as a child, and became known after performing at a working men's club. He came to attention in 1999 when he sang "God ...

Royal Choral Society The Royal Choral Society (RCS) is an amateur choir, based in London. History Formed soon after the opening of the Royal Albert Hall in 1871, the choir gave its first performance as the Royal Albert Hall Choral Society on 8 May 1872 – the choir' ...

# Land of My Fathers – Fron Male Voice Choir # Ireland's Call – Brian Kennedy,

Paul Byrom Celtic Thunder is an Irish singing group and stage show known for its eclectic, theatrical style show. The group is backed by the Celtic Thunder Band on their concert tours, and their live shows are known for the use of dramatic set pieces (of ...

# Scottish Medley –

Royal Scots Dragoon Guards The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers and Greys) is a cavalry regiment of the British Army, and the senior Scottish regiment. The regiment, through the Royal Scots Greys, is the oldest surviving Cavalry Regiment of the Line in the British ...

# Jerusalem – The Coldstream Guards Band, Alfie Boe # Glorious – Mary-Jess # Now's The Time – Luigi Corvi # Calon Lan – Katherine Jenkins # O Verona –

Only Men Aloud Only Men Aloud is a male voice choir from Wales. The choir came to national prominence in the UK when they won the '' Last Choir Standing'' competition run by BBC television during 2008. Overview The choir was formed by Tim Rhys-Evans, a classi ...

# Pokarekare Ana –

, Francois Rive, Robbie McIntosh,

Metro Voices Metro Voices is a choir group based in London, England, that specialises in performing for the motion pictures. They work closely with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and with acclaimed British composer Craig Armstrong. They are known from the ...

, Te Tau Choir, Jenny O'Grady, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Ian Dean # Waltzing Matilda –

André Rieu André Léon Marie Nicolas Rieu (; is a Dutch violinist and conductor best known for creating the waltz-playing Johann Strauss Orchestra. Rieu and his orchestra have turned classical and waltz music into a worldwide concert touring act. He r ...

, Mirusia Louwerse # We'll keep a welcome –

, Orchestra of the Welsh National Opera, Gareth Jones, The Black Mountain Choir, The Risca Choir # Nkosi Sikelel'i Afrika –

Kenyan Boys Choir The Kenyan Boys Choir is an African traditional and contemporary male voice choir based in the city of Nairobi, Kenya. Background The Kenyan Boys Choir consists of 25 boys, aged between 13 and 24, from various Kenyan backgrounds and tribes, b ...

# Men of Harlech – Fron Male Voice Choir # God Defend New Zealand –

# The Fields Of Athenry –

Máiréad Carlin Mairead, Máiréad or Mairéad, is a feminine name and the Irish variation of the given name Margaret, which is believed to mean "pearl". Another spelling variation is Maighread, which is the dominant Scottish Gaelic spelling of the name. It may r ...

# Cwm Rhondda –

, Orchestra of the Welsh National Opera, Gareth Jones, The Black Mountain Choir, The Risca Choir # La Marseillaise –

Roberto Alagna Roberto Alagna (; born 7 June 1963) is a French operatic tenor. He obtained French citizenship in 1981, while also retaining his previous Italian citizenship. Early years Alagna was born in Clichy-sous-Bois, outside the city of Paris, in 1963 t ...

# Swing Low –

All Angels All Angels were a British classical crossover group formed in 2006, consisting of Daisy Chute, Laura Wright, Rachel Fabri, Melanie Nakhla and actress Charlotte Ritchie. The group's style was classical crossover music and close harmony arrang ...

# World In Union (English / Māori) –

# Kakari (Haka 2011) – Qube

Paloma Faith version

R&B singer

Paloma Faith Paloma Faith Blomfield (born 21 July 1981) is an English singer and actress. Her debut studio album, '' Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful?,'' was released in 2009 and was certified double platinum in the UK. The album spawned the sin ...

was selected to record the song as the official 2015 Rugby World Cup anthem. Her rendition of the song was used on

ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...

's Rugby World Cup coverage in the opening titles and during advert breaks, a decision that was greeted negatively by some viewers. A petition to have the song removed was set up by viral marketing expert Jonathan Wilson and received over 10,000 signatures. The petition was featured on the front page of UK newspaper ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was f ...

''.

Kiyoe Yoshioka version

For the

2019 Rugby World Cup The 2019 Rugby World Cup was the ninth edition of the Rugby World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's rugby union teams. It was hosted in Japan from 20 September to 2 November in 12 venues all across the country. The opening match ...

, the song was recorded by Japanese singer Kiyoe Yoshioka. This was also included on her debut solo album ''Utairo''.

used a version recorded by

Emeli Sandé Adele Emily Sandé, ( ; born 10 March 1987), known professionally as Emeli Sandé, is a Scottish singer and songwriter. Born in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, and raised in Alford, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, by an English mother and a Zambian father ...

for their 2019 World Cup coverage.

Invictus

"World in Union" features in the film ''

Invictus "Invictus" is a short poem by the Victorian era British poet William Ernest Henley (1849–1903). It was written in 1875 and published in 1888 in his first volume of poems, ''Book of Verses'', in the section ''Life and Death (Echoes)''. Backgr ...

'' which is based on the events surrounding the

1995 Rugby World Cup The 1995 Rugby World Cup was the third Rugby World Cup. It was hosted and won by South Africa, and was the first Rugby World Cup in which every match was held in one country. The World Cup was the first major sporting event to take place in Sou ...

in South Africa. The original 1995 World Cup recording by

PJ Powers PJ Powers (born 16 July 1960, Durban) is a South African singer and performer. She became a household name in southern Africa after the widespread success of the song “Jabulani”. When she played at the Jabulani Amphitheatre in 1983 she was h ...

and

Ladysmith Black Mambazo Ladysmith Black Mambazo are a South African male choral group singing in the local vocal styles of '' isicathamiya'' and '' mbube''. They became known internationally after singing with Paul Simon on his 1986 album '' Graceland'', and have won ...

is used at the end of the final match. A second recording made for the movie by Yollandi Nortjie and

Overtone An overtone is any resonant frequency above the fundamental frequency of a sound. (An overtone may or may not be a harmonic) In other words, overtones are all pitches higher than the lowest pitch within an individual sound; the fundamental i ...

is played during the closing credits.

References

External links

2007 All-Star version of the song
featuring singers from some of the major

rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...

-playing nations including

New Zealander New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator ...

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

singers Katherine Jenkins,

Elin Manahan Thomas Elin Manahan Thomas (born 1977) is a Welsh soprano. A specialist in Baroque music, she sang at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in May 2018. Biography Thomas was born in Gorseinon near Swansea, Wales, the daughter of M. Wynn Thom ...

Aled Jones Aled Jones, (born 29 December 1970) is a Welsh singer and radio and television presenter. As a teenage chorister, he reached widespread fame during the mid-1980s. Since then he has worked in television with the BBC and ITV, and radio (for ...

and

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

singers

Lesley Garrett Lesley Garrett, CBE (born 10 April 1955) is an English soprano singer, musician, broadcaster and media personality. She is noted for being at home in opera and "crossover music". Early life Garrett was born in the town of Thorne, near Donc ...

and Jonathan Ansell, the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

group A group is a number of persons or things that are located, gathered, or classed together. Groups of people * Cultural group, a group whose members share the same cultural identity * Ethnic group, a group whose members share the same ethnic ide ...

and the Australian ensemble

The Ten Tenors The TEN Tenors (also known as TTT) are an Australian music ensemble that has toured worldwide, been seen by more than 90 million people and attracted a vast international fan-base by performing a unique combination of classical and contemporary m ...

. {{Authority control 1991 songs 1991 singles 1995 songs 1995 singles 1999 songs 1999 singles 2003 songs 2003 singles 2007 songs 2007 singles 2011 songs 2011 singles 2015 songs 2015 singles 2019 songs 2019 singles 2023 songs 2023 singles Sports television theme songs Sports events official songs and anthems Rugby World Cup Shirley Bassey songs Anthems of organizations