Bakewell Choral Society will be performing The Armed Man – subtitled “A Mass for Peace” – written by the Welsh composer Karl Jenkins, in St Mary’s Church, Wirksworth, at 7.30pm on Saturday 11th November.
The piece was originally commissioned for the Millenium celebrations by the Royal Armouries Museum, marking their move from London to Leeds. It was first performed in the Royal Albert Hall, London, on 25th April 2000.
The Armed Man was dedicated to the victims of the Kosovo crisis and is essentially an anti-war piece. It is based on the Catholic Mass and includes movements based on these prayers: Kyrie Eleison, Sanctus, Agnus Dei and Benedictus. However, it also includes several other movements drawn from other inspirations including a 15th Century folk song, “L’homme armé”, the Muslim call to prayer, words written by Rudyard Kipling, John Dryden and Jonathan Swift and a setting of words by the Japanese poet Toge Sankichi, reflecting on the effects of the atom bomb dropped on Hiroshima on 6th August 1945.
Bakewell Choral Society’s concert will also include some shorter choral anthems and readings on the theme of ‘Remembrance’.
Tickets £15. Students and accompanied children free. Tickets are available online at www.bakewellchoral. co.uk as well as on the door, from any choir member or from The Little Vagabond Bookshop, Unit 9, Orme Court, Granby Road, Bakewell DE45 1ES.