Queen’s words inspire new memorial anthem

Arranged to music by American composer Nico Muhly, the song is based around the monarch’s words, “Grief is the price we pay for love,” which was her message to a memorial service in New York nine days after the attacks.

There were 2,000 people at the service, which heard from St Paul’s treasurer Canon Mark Oakley – who had been in New York on September 11. He paid tribute to all those who had died, including a former chorister at the cathedral.

“Two thousand, nine hundred and seventy-seven people that day were never given the opportunity to go home, including amongst them, if I may name just one, Robert Eaton, one of our former choristers here who was working in the World Trade Centre that morning.”

Mr Eaton, 37, a broker, was on the 105th floor of the north tower. His sister, Angela Ridge, read a prayer for “all families and hearts everywhere which have been broken through acts of violence and terrorism”.

The Dean of St Paul’s, the Rt Rev Graeme Paul Knowles, told the congregation: “We come as people from many backgrounds to pray for the future security of our world, for a spirit of tolerance and mutual respect, for peace and freedom, for justice and the rule of law, that together we might go forward with confidence and hope.”