Karl Jenkins - The Armed Man Mass for peace

Description

Katharina Göhr - Mezzo-soprano
Gürkan Gider - Muezzin
Projektchor Villingen-Schwenningen
Sinfonieorchester Villingen-Schwenningen
District cantor - Thomas Haverkamp (conductor) Does music bring peace? Can we create peace with music?
Karl Jenkins' (1944*) message in his Mass for peace (The Armed Man) is clear. Peace is better than war. His interfaith oratorio is one of the great anti-war pieces of the present day. It begins with L’homme armé, a French soldier's song, a popular tune from the 15th century. Over six centuries, it has been used repeatedly in art music and mass compositions, the most recent version by Karl Jenkins. It is followed by movements with traditional mass texts, psalm verses alongside words from the Quran, the Islamic call to prayer, and the Hindu Mahabharata. In the middle is a very personal memory of a man who survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. At the end, the soldier's song has been musically transformed and linked with a new message: Better is peace than always war. Unfortunately, the bitter reality in world history looks different. And so, The Armed Man is a work of overwhelming topicality and comprehensive cosmopolitan significance. It deals with the (psychological) preparation for war, with fighting and destruction, and with despair in the face of many dead and scorched earth. At the same time, the work also opens hope for a new era in which mourning, pain, violence, and death are overcome. The different religious influences in the work are also reflected in the music. Techniques from various centuries are used and quoted: Gregorian chant, Renaissance music, fanfares and march music, as well as folk elements. The coexistence of styles creates effective contrasts: ecstatic outbursts, rousing rhythms, but also quiet passages shape the high emotional impact of the Peace Mass. At the end of the encouraging final movement, Peace is better than war, there is a silent prayer, a vision, quoted from the last chapter of the Bible: "God will wipe away all tears... no more death, no more pain. Praise the Lord!" Additional information:
Concert introduction: 4:15 PM in the 'Actions 1' room

Highlights

• Performance of Karl Jenkins' "The Armed Man"
• With Katharina Göhr and Gürkan Gider
• Conducted by Thomas Haverkamp

General Information

The concert takes place at the Franziskaner Concert Hall in Villingen-Schwenningen and addresses peace through music. Jenkins' interfaith oratorio combines various cultural and religious elements and reflects on the horrors of war.

Location

Rietgasse 2, 78050 Villingen-Schwenningen, Germany

Hide Map

Loading map...

How to get there

Get Directions