Two local singing groups will be taking on the challenging and poignant The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace on Anzac day.
Tauranga Civic Choir are joined by the Oriana Singers to help commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Anzacs in Gallipoli with this performance by Karl Jenkins.
The composer (commissioned by The Royal Armouries Museum in the United Kingdom) was particularly moved by the crisis in Kosovo at the time. The work is set within the framework of the Christian Mass, using both sacred and secular texts taken from a range of well known authors and poets. It takes listeners on a journey from L'homme Arme, to battle, fear and apprehension before battle, to the horror and pain of the aftermath and finally relief.
Authors and poets include Rudyard Kipling, John Dryden, Jonathan Swift, Guy Wilson, Mallory, and Tennyson. There are words from late Japanese poet and peace activist Sankichi Toge, who survived Hiroshima, and an excerpt from the Mahabharata, the 4th century Sanskrit epic poem. A Muslim call to prayer is also part of the work. The final text is a quotation from Revelation 21.4.
The choirs will be accompanied by an organ, piano and instrumental group,
complete with an extensive percussion section. The performance will be conducted by Jeremy Whimster with several choir soloists.
