There are two names for this unusual work by Karl Jenkins. “The Armed Man Mass” and “The Mass for Peace”. I investigate the background of this choral piece.
The different sections were drawn from diverse texts, including the Muslim call to prayer and the Hindu epic poem Mahàbhàratà. And I help you get to know a little bit about the Welsh composer Karl Jenkins, who is almost as famous for his mustache as for his music.
Join me in exploring the history and meaning of this modern masterpiece.
Go to Behind-the-Music to buy my book for an individual or an entire choir in PDF, Kindle, or Apple formats. Also available on Amazon in Kindle or paperback.
dmennicke says
Note–Heinrich Schutz’s Musikalische Exequien is usually considered the first non-Latin Requiem–even titled “A German Requiem” in the G. Schirmer edition. Brahms was aware of this piece before he wrote his Ein Deutsches Requiem.