If I Had Wings was commissioned by Hertfordshire Music Service for their 2018 Gala concerts at the Royal Albert Hall with generous support from the John & Brenda Kitchingman Foundation.
Will Todd has written
“The chance to write for a massive group of young people singing their hearts out accompanied by a huge orchestra is about as good as it gets as a composer. The energy, the sound, the joy! Having collaborated with fabulous and famous author Michael Rosen in the past I was delighted when he agreed to provide some words. And he had an idea...."
The story of Icarus flying too near the sun has fascinated people for centuries, so Michael Rosen has brought his writing brilliance to a retelling of this ancient tale in If I Had Wings. This half hour cantata tells the story through a series of stirring and moving songs with a spoken narration connecting the scenes and providing a twist at the end of the story.... Despite the sad demise of Icarus, in this version he becomes immortalised in the retelling and the final song is full of youthful energy and hope.
If I Had Wings premiered at the Hertfordshire Schools’ Gala 2018 on Sunday 11th March at the Royal Albert Hall London.
Music by Will Todd
Words by Michael Rosen
Artistic Director and Conductor: Rufus Frowde
Narrator: Michael Rosen
Illustrator: James Mayhew
Daedalus: Peter Martin
Minos: Thomas Isherwood
Icarus: Samson Cormack-Repath (Afternoon) and Jamie Mura (Evening)