Sky Arts Art 50
ProjectsNews ArchiveAboutHome

'BREXIT: A Rational Anthem for a National Tantrum' by Nitin Sawhney CBE

A brand new National Anthem composed and performed by Nitin Sawhney reflecting contemporary Britain, both in its lyrics and in its music. The fully orchestrated piece had its premiere at the Barbican on the 23rd February 2019 and was performed by Nitin Sawhney, members of his band, the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain (NYO) and singers from London Contemporary Voices

In this new commission British Indian musician Sawhney considers the state of the nation, focusing on its modern-day elements of multiculturalism, diversity and people. Using his findings from a tour of UK towns and cities, Sawhney will showcase a new ‘anthem’ that he has devised to look away from the past and truly reflect our current society – both in its lyrics and music. Sawhney decided that the piece would be brought to life by the teenage musicians of the NYO – who represent those who will shape the society of tomorrow.

In 2017 Sawhney received the Ivor Novello Lifetime Achievement award, and is firmly established as a world-class producer, songwriter, DJ, multi-instrumentalist, orchestral composer and cultural pioneer across multiple mediums.

With over 20 studio albums to his name, including solo albums, around 60 film/TV soundtracks, copious theatre, dance and videogame scores, as well as numerous compilations, he has received a substantial wealth of major national and international awards for the work.

A Rational Anthem For A National Tantrum

You can see more of Nitin's work here

The other projects

i_am_from_2.png
'School Britannia' - 'I Am From'
website_pic.jpg
Art 50 Gathering
5_-_shaq_-min.jpg
'We Are British' by Rio Blake
version_2.jpg
'Come Hell or High Water' by The Citizens Theatre
dufftown_2.jpg
'Dogs and their Owners' by Dougie Wallace
artist_mary_branson_with_ladders_of_light-_part_of_the_sky_arts_50_installation_in_salisbury_cathedral_-_photo_by_zachary_cu.jpg
'Ladders of Light: A Constitution for the UK ' by Mary Branson
an_taoidann_ban-2.png
'School Britannia' - 'An t-Aodann Ban' (Fair Hill Face)
edinburgh-1.png
'School Britannia'- Edinburgh
lab_and_chi_2.png
'Automat' by Lab Ky Mo and Chi Thai
split_britches_image_from_barbican.jpg
'Unexploded Ordinances' By Split Britches
boris_website.jpg
'The Last Temptation of Boris Johnson' by Jonathan Maitland
bowler_hat_orange_-_from_her-1.jpg
'And The Band Keeps Marching On' by Martha Barnett
capture.jpg
'When We Collide: A British Songbook' by Hanbury & Groves
mg_9602-1.jpg
'Window Wanderland' by Lucy Reeves Khan
boyblue_website_pic.jpg
'R.E.B.E.L' by Boy Blue
by_john_minihan_2.jpg
'Postcard from the Future- Northern Ireland' by Paul McVeigh
kuba_by_janina_sabaliauskaite_3.jpg
'Sweet Dreams' by Kuba Ryniewicz
one_pic.jpg
'Shepherding the Uplands' by Phil Hatcher-Moore
img_9929.jpg
'Empire' by Sarah Maple
britbot_website_pic.jpg
'Britbot' by Libby Heaney
st_ives_website_pic.jpg
'St. Ives' by D.A. Nixon
kyle_1-1.jpg
'Postcard from the Future - Wales'
huntington_gardens_actors_on_shoot-1.png
'Huntington Gardens' by Simon and Paul Wade
tiai_landscape_with_titles_1800_x_900.jpg
'This is an Island?' by DanceXchange
schoolbritannia.jpg
'School Britannia' - Poetry Anthology
2_sides-1.png
'School Britannia' - '2 Sides'
brand_identities_website_image.jpg
'ReBranding Britishness' by Common Vision
rose_davies_big_drawing.jpg
'Here Be Dragons: A New British Flag' by Rosie Scribblah
youth_manifesto-_website-1.jpg
'Youth Manifesto' by National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain and featuring Gustavo Dudamel
his_england_still_2_159045-1.jpg
'His England' by Matty Crawford and Joe Argent
big_sing_website_pic.jpg
'Spirit of Our Nation' by Peter Brewis and Sharon Durant
group_photo_tbai-1.jpg
'Let Me Play The Lion Too' by Told by an Idiot
website_pic.jpg
'Postcard from the Future- Scotland' by Al Kennedy
jack_cockers_on_shoot_image_for_social_media-1.jpg
'Me, My Nan and Oldham' by Connor Coulston
lemn_sissay_with_his_poem_magniloquent_cartilage-_part_of_ladders_of_light-_a_new_constitution_for_the_uk_-photo_by_zachary.jpg
'Magniloquent Cartilage: A Constitution for the UK' by Lemn Sissay MBE
website_pic.jpg
'Backbone of Our Land' by Folkworks
maddogs_website_pic.jpg
'Mad Dogs' by Gadzooks
44439650_1763665660412301_749853275043800064_n.jpg
UnFOLD: Hope and Water by Lyrix Organix
jasleen_141_rs.jpg
'Daughter of a Perpetual Foreigner' by Jasleen Kaur
the-scary-bikers-web-1.jpg
'The Scary Bikers' by John Godber OBE
nye_thompson_-_press_shot.jpg
INSULAE [Of the Island] by Nye Thompson
brutish_mul1.gif
'The Battle of Heptonstall' by The Brutish Multitude
dreda_say_mitchell.jpg
'Postcard from the Future- England' by Dreda Say Mitchell and Tony Mason
cardigan.png
'School Britannia' - 'Cardigan's Corner Shop'
the_brink_1s.png
'The Brink' by Simon Armitage CBE
hania_amar_2.jpg
'Stock' by Naqqash Khalid
border-_promo.png
'BORDER- A VR Ride' by Abigail Conway and Laura Collier
ehlu8qdg-1.jpeg
'Declaration of Independence' by Barby Assante
crew_pic.jpg
'Small Town Politics' by Gulliver Moore and Oliver Clubb