A song for the journey: Warwick’s new graduation anthem debuts

Debut performances of University of Warwick’s new anthem, The Way Is Won, are taking place during summer graduation ceremonies.

Commissioned to celebrate Warwick’s 60th anniversary, the new anthem is a collaborative composition by staff and students, and evokes feelings of hope and celebration, balancing a reflection on past experiences with aspirations for the future.

The Way is Won is played for students and their families during every graduation ceremony, in a recorded performance by the University of Warwick’s Chamber Choir, Brass and Percussion.

Dr Chris Mapp, co-composer of The Way is Won, and Head of Music said: “Our previous anthem, Warwick Fanfare, was well-loved, but the difficulty of the piece meant that it often wasn’t possible for our students to perform it. The Way Is Won was commissioned to celebrate our sixtieth year, to reflect the full breadth of our community identity and experience, and to play to the strengths of our student musicians.”

“Associate Artist Suzzie Vango and I had the ambition to compose an uplifting and accessible piece that not only complemented and responded to the poem, but also reflected the cooperative and accessible ethos of Warwick’s Music Centre. Through rehearsal and performance, the students for whom this music was written have helped to shape the work and make it their own.”

Associate Artist Suzzie Vango said: "I had never collaborated on a choral composition in quite this way before, so the process was both exciting and hugely rewarding. I’m proud that this cohort of students, together with the Music Centre team, have contributed to such a historic moment for the University. It means a great deal that Warwick has placed its trust in us - staff and students alike - to bring this collaboration to life. Hearing it performed for the first time was unforgettable and I hope that, each time it is played to our graduates, they are reminded of where they have been, and inspired for their future journeys."

Professor David Morley shared his lyrics with poetry students from the Warwick Writing Programme to see whether the words and tone rang true to their experience. Their responses confirmed the poem’s direction: “I wanted the words to land in their hearts and be honest. I aimed for imagery that spoke to their feelings and captured taking joy in the moment, while also looking ahead to the future. The poem is a celebration of friends made for life, of time, presence, and togetherness, sung with the awareness of both an ending and a beginning.

“The right words at the right moment can steady you, take your hand, and help you be fully yourself. The first time I heard it performed, I was deeply moved. It spoke to me as both a parent and a teacher. I know my students’ joys, their sorrows, and their dreams, and I care for them with all my heart. I always want to be at their graduation to see them off and wish them well, though I can’t always be present. But now, whether I am there or not, they will hear a poem that says everything I want to say to them.”

University of Warwick’s graduation ceremonies are a rite of passage that mark the culmination of years of effort and achievement, and the transition of one stage of life to another. Students are often joined at the ceremony by their loved ones for a shared celebration of accomplishment, reflecting on growth, challenges, and friendships, as well as farewells and new beginnings.

University of Warwick wishes all its 2025 graduates a very warm welcome to our alumni family.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

The Way Is Won – by David Morley

The way is won, the years have passed.

The trees have risen from the grass.

The birds have soared beyond their nests.

The sun and moon, in endless flight,

Have crossed this stage from dawn to night.

Lift up your eyes, let dreams take flight.

Step beyond these halls of light.

The friends you’ve made, the bonds you’ve spun,

Will shine like stars long after sun.

 

The way is won, the years have passed.

The trees have risen from the grass.

The birds have soared beyond their nests.

These days were ours, this day is yours.

This day of days, this golden door,

Through learning’s light, your future soars.

Now rise, go forth—the world is wide.

The path ahead is yours to stride.

For more information please contact:

Ann Baylis

ann.baylis@warwick.ac.uk / 07876 876 937

General and out of hours press office number +44 (0)7392 125605 (please call as emails are not checked out of office hours)

About the University of Warwick

Founded in 1965, the University of Warwick is a world-leading institution known for its commitment to era-defining innovation across research and education. A connected ecosystem of staff, students and alumni, the University fosters transformative learning, interdisciplinary collaboration and bold industry partnerships across state-of-the-art facilities in the UK and global satellite hubs. Here, spirited thinkers push boundaries, experiment and challenge convention to create a better world.

21 July 2025