‘The Armed Man’

A Mass for Peace

Ten years ago a new, exciting and profoundly disturbing choral work burst upon the British musical scene, ‘The Armed Man’ by Karl Jenkins.  Commissioned by the Royal Armouries Museum for the Millennium celebrations, it was originally dedicated to the victims of the Kosovo crisis.  It took very little time for it to be realised that here was a work of significance which was applicable to the whole history of human conflict from the Crusades, through WW1 and up to the present day.  In  2004,  Amici  gave  a  memorable  performance,  the

music being complemented by projected images showing both the horrors of war and the nobility of spirit which can arise out of battle and the savagery of the human race.

Things have changed very little – as the Iraq war and the present situation in Afghanistan show all too clearly, we still ask our young men and women to put their fragile bodies in harm’s way for our sake, often with horrific consequences.  This Remembrance Sunday, November 14^th Amici and OrchestraWest will present the work again as a fitting memorial to those who have died in so many conflicts over so many years.

Described as ‘A Mass for Peace’, Karl Jenkins’ work comprises sections from the Requiem Mass, joined with excerpts from Kipling and Tennyson, the Islamic call to prayer, ‘The Last Post’ and the words of a Hiroshima survivor.  From such a diverse set of sources, Jenkins has woven a musical tapestry which will move and disturb, sadden and inspire.

This will be the musical event of 2010 in Taunton

Not only will you be thrilled by the music and the images, but your presence will allow us to raise money for those charities who support the victims of war and their families.  Don’t miss this!  Taunton’s world class chamber choir and professional symphony orchestra will combine to present this landmark work, preceded by the wonderful ‘Enigma Variations’ by Edward Elgar.

Full details will be published on this website as soon as possible.

He'll Be Back!

REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY, 14th November 2010
In November 2004, Amici performed the stunning Mass for Peace, “The Armed Man” by Karl Jenkins. This work has lost none of its impact since then – indeed the conflict in Afghanistan has only served to remind us that we still ask young men and women to put their own fragile bodies in harm’s way for our sake. Amici and OrchestraWest will present this work again on Remembrance Sunday, 14th November 2010 – one of the features of the earlier performance was the projection of visual images to complement the music. An updated version of this will be a part of the new presentation. 

CHRISTMAS 2010
Our Christmas offering will be on Saturday 11th December. The programme will comprise old favourites alongside Benjamin Britten’s ‘A Boy Was Born’. Written when the composer was only 17, this is a set of choral variations of great originality and we are looking forward to presenting it. More details will be published here when available. 

EASTER 2011
It may seem odd to be talking about Easter 2011 already, but Amici has to plan its performances well in advance in order to secure the best soloists. In Holy Week 2011, Amici and OrchestraWest will scale even greater choral heights by presenting the monumental ‘St. Matthew Passion’ by J. S. Bach. It is the longest-running of all of his choral output and requires the largest choral forces. Soloists dread this piece. In some arias, the vocal line shoots up and down like a heart monitor. The role of the Evangelist requires a tenor who can slide and twist his voice around sadistic ornaments while still being able to float boyishly to the top of his register. No wonder world-class Evangelists are as rare as Wagnerian Heldentenors. Watch this space – we’ll announce the final date and the ‘cast list’ as soon as possible!