Karl Jenkins Learning Page

Karl Jenkins: Choral Composer, Boosey and Hawkes, 2011 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dtg99BNWqec (Accessed 8 Oct, 2022).

"There's something for me to work within this kinda frame work, and do what many of the great composers in the past have done, in my own way". However, Jenkins also explains that part of the reason for "re-examining or reworking these texts was to try to incorporate other cultures outside of the strictly european [perspective]. It wasn't a question of just setting these texts within a European framework, if you like... I wanted to bring a uniqueness to them that hadn't been done before".

The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace was commissioned by the Royal Armouries to be a masterpiece.

Jenkins explains: "They wanted a piece of music for the new millenium that told the story and the horrors of war, and looking forward to a better future, a future with peace for all mankind with a universal message.

The master of the Royal Armouries, Guy Wilson, did a huge amount of work in researching and finding text, so that credit should go to him really. They wanted it to be termed a mass so it had to have some core mass movements for it to qualify, if you like. So we have a "Sanctus", "Kyrie", "Benedictus" "Agnus Dei". The text as I said was to be universal and without boundaries. There was a muslim call to prayer (number 2), a poem by Japanese Poet, Toge Sankichi, who died as a result of leukemia caused by the atomic bomb". The poem itself is from Sankichi's perspective, as he reflected on the effects of the atom bomb dropped on Hiroshima on 6^th August 1945. Jenkin's continues by adding "There's something from the mahabharata which is a Hindu epic, and on top of that we have poems by Dryden, Swift, Tennyson, Keates, Kippling. In the biblical extracts, two psalms.

"It's pretty all-enveloping kind of universal text that tells the story of war. The build-up, the Catasrophe of Battle, and the aftermath and essentially that's what it's about."

"The people's message within it is universal, and people respond to that... since you're saying how futile is war and can't you think of a better way of solving things? So that's really important to people.

Go To Inquiry Task Page

Please use this page to help learn all 13 songs for the performance at the Opera House on November 12 &13.

We will work with our special guests Maestro Dong Quang Vinh (Conductor) and Claire Shuangshuang Mo (Pianist) in workshops leading up to the performance.

Please bring your Jenkins book, a pencil, some water, and a ready singing voice to all rehearsals and workshops.

Please learn the notes and the words for the music at home so we can focus on singing together in class in preparation.

Full Score

kupdf.net_311639573-karl-jenkins-the-armed-man-a-mass-for-peace-vocal-score-pdfpdf.pdf

Electronic Part Singing - Change the Tempo - Change the Volume of the Voice/Accompaniment.

Choose your part Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass. Choose your movement (1-13) and sing along.

The Armed Man (L'homme, L'homme, L'homme Arme)

This movement uses French Lyrics and a traditional melody. The snare drum opens the music with a solo piccolo flute with a martial style. The choir comes in by repeating the flutes melody. Trumpets interject throughout the work helping to enhance the martial ethos.

Sing your Part Assessment "L'homme, L'homme"

Soprano sing-along 1

Tenor sing-along 1

Alto Sing-along 1

Bass sing-along 1

2. Call to prayers

This movement will be sung by a soloist from Hanoi Voices or VNOB Choir.

3. Kyrie Eleison

The next movement builds upon the polyphonic compositional style of Palestrina. This movement is sung in Latin and features a soloist or children's choir.

Kyrie Eleison = Lord have mercy; Christe Eleison = Christ have mercy

Listen to some Palestrina

Here is a recording of "Sicut Service" (as a service) performed by the Voices of ascension.

Notice the dovetailing of long-legato (smooth) lines. The combination of the dovetailing parts in an echoing space makes the music sound "heavenly"

Record yourself singing the "After Palestrina" section for assessment:

Soprano singalong 3

Tenor singalong 3

Alto singalong 3

Bass singalong 3

4. Save me from Bloody Men: Men only singing.

This movement builds upon the style of singing known as Gregorian Chant.

Have mercy on me, O God.

Listen to some Gregorian Chant: The Templar Chant. Do you think Jenkins is copying this style or building upon the "idea" of the style to convey something? What is he trying to convey?

Bass & Tenor sing along 4. Gregorian style

5. Sanctus

The next movement builds upon a number of historical ideas and composers like Vivaldi, Shostakovich, and others appear to have influenced the music. We will talk about this more in class. Listen for long build up.

Karl Jenkins biographical interview.

Soprano singalong 5

Tenor singalong 5

Alto singalong 5

Bass singalong 5

VI. Hymn before the Action

Soprano singalong 6.

Alto singalong 6.

Tenor singalong 6.

Bass singalong 6.

7. Charge!

The next movement features brass fanfares and militant percussion and woodwind sections.

"The trumpets loud clangour excites us to arms!!" Draws on the Venetian Trumpet Aria genre established as a rhetorical depiction characteristics of bravery, triumph, victory and valour between 1600-1750. The trumpet was often used to depict battles in seventeenth century dramatic works on stage especially in dramma per musica (Opera). The last post is quoted at the end of this movement. The last post is an iconic trumpet tune played on the morning after battle to remember the soldiers who died.

Record yourself singing sections 'B' and 'E' from the "Charge" for assessment:

Soprano singalong 7.

Alto singalong 7

Tenor singalong 7

Bass singalong 7

Number 8. Angry Flames

Soloists from Hanoi Voices will sing this movement.

IX. Torches.

Soprano 9.

Tenor 9

Alto 9

Bass 9

X. Agnus Dei

This movement is sung in Latin:

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, dona nobis pacem.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

Soprano singalong 10.

Tenor singalong 10.

Alto singalong 10

Bass singalong 10.

XI Now the guns have stopped

A soloist will be selected from Hanoi Voices or VNOB Choir for this movement.

12. Benedictus

This movement features a beautiful cello solo. Hauser has recorded a brilliant music video (shared on the main High School Choir page).

Karl Jenkins talks about the techniques he used to create the haunting "Benedictus" in his Mass for Peace

Soprano 12.

Tenor 12.

Alto 12.

Bass 12.

13. "Better Is Peace!"

This movement is related to Movement 1. This movement carries the concluding take home message! "Better is Peace" which is sung in English with a joyful ionian mode. The folk melody features florid ornamentation.

Soprano 13

Alto 13

Tenor 13

Bass 13

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