"UEFA commissioned Tony Britten to write the signature Champions League theme in 1992 and it has been in use ever since. The piece is performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, with the vocals provided by the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, because apparently we cannot name anything at all sensibly when it comes to classical music. As ClassicFM explain, the piece owes more than just a little bit to George Frideric Handel's 1727 piece 'Zadok the Priest'."
"You know the one. Strings swell, there's some stuff in another language, then a big lovely choir sings 'THE CHAAAMPIONS!', before a four-note brass blast. Somehow, it still makes us think of watching the Champions League on ITV, despite the fact it's been used on every channel and at every game around Europe from 1992 to this very day. But what is that bit of music, and whence did it arrive into the game?"
The UEFA Champions League anthem was commissioned in 1992 and composed by Tony Britten. The recording features the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with vocals from the Academy of St Martin in the Fields. The piece intentionally echoes Handel's 1727 coronation anthem 'Zadok the Priest' and has been used at matches and broadcasts across Europe since 1992. The sung chorus blends English, French and German lines — notably 'Die Meister! Die Besten! Les grandes équipes! The champions!' — and functions as the iconic four-note motif. Additional verses exist, but their literal translations read awkwardly and lose their grandiose tone.
Read at www.fourfourtwo.com
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