UNDER the baton of the inimitable Richard Cock on Saturday, October 15, in The City Hall at 8pm, the combined choirs of The Philharmonia Choir of Cape Town, the Johannesburg Symphony Choir, in collaboration with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, will perform The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace by Karl Jenkins. While South Africa’s multi-talented, multi-lingual and multi-award winning Maudee Montiere sings the soprano solist’s part, also to be heard is a muezzin calling people to prayer.
This, not so well-known work, is described as “a powerful musical argument against war. A sweeping condemnation of violence, evoking the terrible sadness, loss and waste of conflict as well as the peace, serenity and beauty of a world in harmony.”
Anyone who has experienced war, whether on the battlefield, an invasion, gang warfare or domestic abuse will know the horror and rippling effects of attack. Yet, a walk in a forest, the hills, sharing time with loving people, listening to music or in prayer will quieten the soul and bring peace. An attainable peace about which the 190 voices will jubilantly sing in Agnus Dei: Now the Guns Have Stopped; Benedictus and Better is Peace with the words “Ring out the thousand wars of old, ring in the thousand years of peace.” The work ends with an unaccompanied hymn using text from the Book of Revelation “God shall wipe away all tears.
Background to Welsh composer Karl Jenkins 1999/2000 mass The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace, was a commission from the Royal Armouries, and the horrific Kosovo conflict. The Royal Armouries wanted to mark the transition from one millennium to another. While the ongoing Kosovo conflict highlighted deeply-rooted antagonisms between ethnic groups. And while the tragedy of Kosovo’s warring factions were Jenkins starting point, such grim hostilities between nations, clans, tribes, factions, races, families and sects date back into the mists of time. Living in harmony seems to elude human beings. Yet, in one religion or another we all pray for peace. So essentially this mass is a prayer pleading for the peace countless battles, and lost lives, were fought for.
Commencing with L’homme arme- celebrating the man of arms - this mass for peace is composed in 12 parts for soprano, alto, tenor, bass and premiered in 2000 with Jenkins on the podium conducting the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the National Youth Choir of Great Britain. Through his classic theme used by De Beers diamond merchants for their television advertisement, Jenkins has connections to South Africa. So not surprisingly Jenkins was the first international composer to conduct A Mass for Peace for the University of Johannesburg Kingsway Choir. And Johannesburg was the first city to hear A Mass for Peace against the backdrop of Helfin Owen’s film.
This film echoing the text through conflicts, the aftermath, and hope for a better future will be shown at both the Cape Town and Johannesburg performances.
In texts chosen jointly by Jenkins and Guy Wilson, then Master of the Royal Armouries, Jenkins incorporates extracts from the Catholic mass, religious and historical sources including the Islamic call to prayer and the Mahabharata - epic narrative of the Kurukshetra war.
Sung in English, French and Latin, I asked Gill Faris (Philharmonia choir chairman and an alto) and Joan Freislich (Philharmonia choir secretary also an alto) how complex the work is to sing? “Musically not that tricky” they agreed. “The notes are relatively easy. However it is a very emotional piece to sing. What Richard Haigh our music director is (naturally) particular about is expressing the music’s dynamics, timing, nuances, subtleties as well as correct pronunciation. Fortunately the availability of training CD’s for each part, helps with pronunciation and learning of notes”
l Approximately 67 minutes the mass is sung without interval. The united choirs first perform The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace in Joburg’s Linder Auditorium on Sunday, October 9 at 3pm supported by the Johannesburg Festival Orchestra (book through Computicket). For Cape Town’s performance on October 15 at 8pm: Quicket.