GCA anticipates "The Armed Man"

Looking Back (with a satisfied smile on my face)

2010-05-21T14:07:00.001-07:00

I received a phone call this week from a somewhat confused Music Appreciation student. She was inquiring about tickets for our performance of "The Armed Man" which she thought was happening this weekend. It was sad to tell her that she was nearly two months late and that the performance was in MARCH and not MAY. She ended with, "That's too bad; it looks like it would have been a really cool performance to attend!"

I smiled into the phone. Then I said, "Yes, it was a very special performance."

Nearly two months have passed since the collaboration between Griffin Choral Arts and the Griffin Ballet Theatre as they together performed "The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace." Since that time, nearly every day something will bring my mind back to that magical week. Often it's a comment, email, letter, or phone call from someone who was in the audience. I allow myself to drift back into the thrill of being on that stage and I enjoy a few moments of reliving it all.

Quite often I talk about how choirs have always known that "the whole is greater than the sum of the parts." When you multiply that to include the twenty professional instrumentalists, the dance company, the five guest dancers, and the visual images and lighting effects, it's no wonder that we were all feeding off of eachothers' energy and contributions to "the whole."

Other times I will lament the fact that the performers never really had the chance to experience what the audience experienced. Certainly the choir could not see the visual images or appreciate the way the dancers filled the stage with color and movement. The dancers, running on and off stage and spending some entire movements backstage certainly couldn't realize the full impact of the music. None of us on stage could see the images and video clips that framed the subject matter in a very powerful way so that the music and dance could be better understood intellectually and emotionally. Usually I pity the audience, as they may have no idea what a rush it is to perform on the stage surrounded by creativity, talent, and a unified desire for artistic expression. But this time, to some extent at least, I was jealous of those in the seats!

At some point when I'm talking on and on about TAM, my voice just kind of trails off and I shake my head in half-disbelief that it actually happened.

Then I look up and smile one more time before going back to work on the next thing.

Final Preparations

2010-03-25T06:46:00.000-07:00

By Mary Drew

The finishing touches are being placed on the collaborative performance of Karl Jenkins’ The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace being presented this weekend by Griffin Choral Arts and Griffin Ballet Theatre.

With full choreography by GBT director Mitch Flanders and choral direction by Dr. Stephen J. Mulder, this premiere event will combine the talents of six guest dancers with members of GBT and will feature accompaniment by a 24-piece orchestra in support of the accomplished 50-voice chorus.

Jenkins’ composition is a meditation on the act of war, tracing its arc from inception to resolution. The ramifications of conflict have not been lost on those participating in the Griffin production.

At a recent rehearsal, GBT dancer Ashley Barnes described the piece as “exhausting”, adding, “I really get the emotion that the words convey.”

Her GBT colleague, Kelli Betz, elaborated, “In one song, the dancers are on fire; we’re burning to death. In this instance, the dancing isn’t technically difficult, but it’s emotionally exhausting.”

GCA soloist Erin Mulder, featured during the composition’s post-battle ballad, describes that song as “very taxing; very raw and bare,” adding, “I feel very vulnerable singing it.” Regarding The Armed Man in its entirety, Ms. Mulder feels that “it’s a testament to tolerance and equanimity among religions.”

The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace, 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Griffin Auditorium, 234 E. Taylor St. Admission $15.

Johnny Cash Meets Karl Jenkins?

2010-03-17T15:03:00.000-07:00

GCA Board President Elaine Bolton and I share a passion OTHER THAN choral music. We both love the music of Johnny Cash. Last week when his new (and final) album was released, it wasn't long until we both had listened to it and had identified our favorite tracks. One track that we both enjoyed had a theme very similar to that of THE ARMED MAN: A MASS FOR PEACE. The lyrics are:

Last night I had the strangest dream

I'd ever dreamed before

I dreamed the world had all agreed

To put an end to war

I dreamed I saw a mighty room

Filled with women and men

And the paper they were signing said

They'd never fight again

And when the paper was all signed

And a million copies made

They all joined hands and bowed their heads

And grateful pray'rs were prayed

And the people in the streets below

Were dancing 'round and 'round

While swords and guns and uniforms

Were scattered on the ground

Last night I had the strangest dream

I'd never dreamed before

I dreamed the world had all agreed

To put an end to war.

(Ed McCurdy)

When you get so close to performing a work like TAM, it's easy for everything else in your life to relate in some way to that major project on your plate!

Orchestra and Meeting of the Minds

2010-02-10T19:54:00.000-08:00

Today the music arrived for the orchestra that will accompany us for TAM. Somehow the performances seem closer now that we have the actual music in our hands. There are many familiar names on the orchestra roster; it looks like a great group! I still can't fully imagine what it will be like when the choir, orchestra, dancers and technical folks (those handling lighting and projected images) meet for first time at the full rehearsal on 3/23.

I met today with Mitch Flanders (Artistic Director of Griffin Ballet Theatre). We went through the score again and walked through the various visual/dance ideas for each movement. Our next step will be to meet again in the Griffin Auditorium to make sure our set up will work and to test out some of the technical details.

The publicity committee is sending materials all over the region. We had a great article in "Griffin on the Go" magazine that came out this week. Keep spreading the word--THE ARMED MAN is coming!

Flurries

2010-01-27T07:11:00.000-08:00

So far Griffin GA has avoided any significant snow flurries this winter, but there is certainly a flurry of activity surrounding THE ARMED MAN right now. Here's a sampling:

Of course the choir and ballet company are in full-rehearsal-swing already. At the choir rehearsal on Monday night, I could not believe the level of concentration and the amount of mastery already demonstrated by the GCA singers! this is great news, especially because we have guest conductor Kevin Hibbard (from University of West Georgia) coming next week Monday, February 1, to work with us.
Behind the scenes, we have been finalizing arrangements this week to obtain "grand rights" for the production. Because we are creating a new combination of music and ballet, there are more legal considerations than for a typical concert.
The orchestra has been hired and I have all their names, addresses, email addresses to process. We have negotiated fees and we will be ready to send the (rental) music out to them when it arrives in a few weeks.
Some are busy working to make the choir look a certain way on stage. I don't know if I'm allowed to disclose details about that, but there are people finding various shirts and coordinating colors, and shopping for bolts of cloth. I'm glad that's not my job...
The TAM publicity committee (affectionately named TAMPR by Bill Pasch) has been writing articles (THANKS Mary Drew), gathering information about singer churches (THANKS Liz Fortson), and putting together a publicity packet to send out early in February. The GCA Board has also approved GCA becoming a contributor to SOUTHSIDE ARTS AGENDA, a weekly e-publication distributed to 7200 families. Our first full page ad will go out on February 1. (To subscribe, go here: www.southsideartsagenda.com and "Join Our Mailing List")
Bill Pasch has disseminated a draft of the program notes to the chorus and others to help us all get educated and become familiar with some of the background and history surrounding TAM. These notes will be on the GCA website soon. I'll post an update here when they are available.

Much more to come! Keep spreading the word about THE ARMED MAN.

On Peace as a Goal

2010-01-22T05:58:00.000-08:00

As we come to the end of the MLK week, I thought I would share a quote that Katrina Lazenby brought to my attention. I meant to share this quote on Monday, but I forgot in the heat of the rehearsal! Dr. King said:

Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal.

Beginnings

2010-01-21T15:53:00.001-08:00

Mary Drew (one of those helping GCA with publicity), asked me for some information about how "The Armed Man" work was "discovered" and chosen as a GCA project. I sent her the following paragraph.

In March 2008, I was judging a choral festival with Dr. Kevin Hibbard of the University of West Georgia. GCA was in its first season and on the ride to the site I was picking his brain about possible community chorus repertoire. Kevin directs a community group at Emory called Collegium Vocale (http://www.cvchorus.org/newsite/Home.html). He said that, hands down, the most popular work he had done was Jenkins “The Armed Man.” He said it was a favorite of the chorus and the audience alike. Upon returning home, I was reading a music journal (probably a week later) when I stumbled on a piece about “The Armed Man.” That following Sunday, our accompanist Seth Davis came in and said that he had just purchased a new CD called “The Armed Man” and he thought the music was fantastic and might be something GCA would want to program. So, in the months that followed I obtained a recording and did some searching on YouTube. I ordered a DVD of the composer directing a performance. The videos all included a film background showing various war images and combat footage, etc. As I listened to the music, it struck me that the music really lent itself to a visual element or movement of some kind. The “politicalness” of the film turned me off slightly and sent red flags about possible alienation of parts of our audience. For example, the film projects images of Ronald Reagan and George W Bush during the singing of “Bloody Men.” That’s when I thought it would be really neat to collaborate with the Griffin Ballet Theatre. I sent Mitch Flanders a score and a recording and suggested we collaborate. He immediately responded in favor and we started making plans.

The rest is history!

Intreresting Background

2010-01-14T09:05:00.000-08:00

At our first choral rehearsal for "The Armed Man" a few weeks ago, I shared some interesting background to the work.

The melody on which the first and last movements are based is L'homme Arme. This secular tune was perhaps the "greatest hit" of the Renaissance period. Over 40 composers wrote Mass settings based on this tune as a cantus firmus, including Josquin des Prez, Palestrina, Dufay, Ockeghem, and Busnois. Each composer paid homage to those before, but also tried to outdo the predecessors.
John Rutter was one of the other English composers on the "short list" for the TAM commission.
The Armed Man (2000) has been compared to Britten's War Requiem (1962) and Ralph Vaughn Williams' Dona Nobis Pacem (1936) because of its use of sacred and secular texts juxtaposed within the large cantata form and because of its themes about war and peace.

TAM is an ambitious work, and it seeks to find a place in a musical tradition that dates back many centuries. By incorporating a Renaissance era tune, biblical and liturgical texts, and secular texts ancient and modern, TAM encourages us to think about war and its effects on humans historically and throughout our civilization. Experiencing TAM may help us better understand the conflicts in our world today, or at least gain perspective.

Grant us strength to DIE!

2010-01-13T15:47:00.000-08:00

Griffin Choral Arts has now had two rehearsals for "The Armed Man" (or TAM, for short). There seems to be great enthusiasm in the choir and the music is already attaching itself to our hearts and minds. At the first rehearsal, I felt it most during the "Hymn Before Action" movement.

The earth is full of anger, the seas are dark with wrath.
The Nations in their harness go up against our path:
Ere yet we loose the legions; Ere yet we draw the blade,
Jehova of the Thunders, Lord God of Battles aid!

High lust and froward bearing, proud heart rebellous brow,
Deaf ear and soul uncaring, we seek thy mercy now!
The sinner that foreswore Thee, the fool that passed Thee by,
Our times are known before Thee, Lord grant us strength to die,
Lord, grant us strength to die!

(two of the five verses written by Rudyard Kipling)

When we finished, I told the choir that I believed them! I think it is the strength of the poetry that lit the fire in our collective bellies. The music is dramatic and sweeping and provides momentum as the choir gets ready to "Charge!" in the following movement.

Album Review and Summary

2009-06-23T10:45:00.000-07:00

The following is a CD review of "The Armed Man." Paul Van Vliet does a good job of summarizing the work.

(from http://www.adiemus.f2s.com/armedmanrev.htm )

Over the years, Karl Jenkins has shown himself to be one of the most versatile composers of our time. He has composed experimental jazz (the Soft Machine years), classical work (Palladio, released in the USA as Diamond Music), pop music (in his work for commercials and on Merry Christmas to the World), and of course the classical-ethnic-ecclesiastic style of the Adiemus records, which are his most popular compositions by far. For his new recording - The Armed Man: A Mass For Peace - Jenkins once again produces a classical-ethnic-ecclesiastic combination but with dramatically different results.

Fans of Jenkins' work should be excited to hear the crisp recording of The Armed Man, released more than a year after it was first performed. This composition is one of Jenkins' most thematic undertakings, a courageous examination of war and peace expressed in bold musical compositions. This is undoubtedly Jenkins' darkest composition so far; grim melodies are used to convey the seriousness of war and suffering.

The CD's liner notes clearly describe how Britain's Royal Armouries, to mark the millennium, commissioned the composition of a mass which would reflect on war and peace in a multi-cultural, global society. To this end, the composition uses lyrics from classic poets, biblical verses, and traditional mass, as well as from Muslim, Hindu, and Japanese sources. While this may have resulted in a disjointed composition, the strength of the story and Jenkins' tight compositions provide for a cohesive work which demands the listener's close attention.

The Songs
The recording starts with "The Armed Man" - a song introduced with a marching drumbeat and a simple tune (based on a 15th century original) played on whistles. The choir - singing in French - falls into the marching rhythm and strengthens it. The song is a strong call to arms and establishes the darkness to follow.

The second song is the traditional Muslim "Call To Prayers" beautifully sung by soloist Mohammed Gad. Its call for devotion is delivered quietly and sparsely. This contrasts with the more elaborate "Kyrie," which stately requests divine blessings in the Christian tradition.

Introduction

This ecclesiastic contemplation is invaded by the dark sounds of "Save Me From The Bloody Men," the fourth song. This clever composition starts out sounding like a traditional Gregorian chant for male voices, perfectly in line with the religious songs preceding it. The nastiness, however, is in the final phrase where a sudden drumbeat and some ominous notes give a sense of doom to the titular phrase. The voices sound not so much afraid as they sound angry.

"Sanctus" is an upbeat song of ecclesiastic praise and most reminiscent of Jenkins' Adiemus style. This is a grand song of praise, but at this point in the work overshadowed by its context. It is followed by the ominous "Hymn Before Action" which - using words by Rudyard Kipling - establishes the mindset needed for battle. The song both establishes a motivation for the fight and encourages the soldiers to sacrifice themselves for the greater good. The powerful imagery of the words combine well with the sweeping melody, which is somewhat reminiscent of the style of musical theater anthems or motion picture scores.

The beat picks up, literally, in "Charge!" which - using text from several sources - establishes the start of the battle with powerful vocals, trumpets, and drums. (All three of which are also mentioned in the song's lyrics.) The motivations and encouragements of the previous song are thematically repeated and near the end of the song we hear the abstract screams of the battle unfold. This is a powerful, rhythmic song with a strong melody which, if not for its dark subject matter, could easily be a choral favorite.

"Angry Flames" starts with the sound of a lone trumpet followed by the ringing of a bell, a slow melody, and then the quiet, sad solo vocals, sometimes supported by the chorus. The lyrics - translated from the Japanese and clearly reflecting the violence of the nuclear explosions of 1945 - powerfully describe the horrors left behind by battle as a city lies in flames. The emphasis in this song is not so much on a clear melody, as it is on establishing a powerful mood to match the lyrics.

This mournful mood is continued in the ninth song "Torches" which - using words from The Mahabharata - describes the sad fate of the victims of war. The melody, the instrumentation, and the singing in this song are all quite subdued as if fearful of disturbing the dead. Only the final word of this song, torches, is sung loud and angrily. This is a powerful composition in its imagery and execution.

"Agnus Dei" - asks for divine peace. Using traditional Latin invocations of a mass, the ecclesiastical style of this song demonstrates Jenkins' talent for writing powerful choral pieces.

Using a lyric by the current Master of the Royal Armouries himself, "Now The Guns Have Stopped" is a carefully song of mourning and loneliness sung by a weary battle survivor. This beautiful, sparse, chilling threnody describes the horror of war at a very intimate level.

Adiemus fans will know the melody "Benedictus" since Jenkins used it as the title track on The Eternal Knot. Here the song starts out as a quiet instrumental; the choir follows, sounding as if singing from a great hall or church in the distance. Once the orchestra's horn section chimes in, the chorus becomes a powerful song of praise with a strong melody.

The concluding track - "Better is Peace" - initially sets its message to the same melody that started the song cycle - "The Armed Man" - but with a more upbeat performance. At this point, this contrast might seem ironic, but Jenkins might also use this method to see how the call for peace negates the call to arms by appropriating its melody. Using joyful instrumentation, cheerful choral vocals, and encouraging words by Tennyson, this song truly establishes a new beginning, with high hopes and good wishes. Out of all songs in this collection, this would be the one most likely to be performed by itself.

Conclusion
After experiencing The Armed Man as a whole, the listener is left with a sense of awe. Jenkins has taken the listener through a broad range of emotions and has not shunned the more horrific aspects of war and suffering - all the better to make the argument against it. As such, this mass has a remarkably strong point of view.

It is also clear that Jenkins meant for this song cycle to be experienced as a whole: the composition and execution of these songs creates a wonderful overall experience, yet it is difficult to separate out a song and have it stand on its own. Each song is part of the larger story, each song makes sense as part of the overall composition, and by itself each song seems to be missing its context.

It must also be noted that the powerful imagery of this song cycle cannot easily be separated from world events. Jenkins notes this as he dedicates the work to the victims of the Kosovo tragedy. At the present, this composition rings true once again and the incorporation of both Christian and Muslim texts and melodies provide a powerful commentary on the disagreements between followers of these and other faiths.

Listeners familiar with the Adiemus recordings will find a whole new side to Jenkins' talent on this CD. While this may not be for everyone, there is no denying the sincerity of the composition's argument and the enthusiasm of its execution. This album is therefore highly recommended.

Synopsis

2009-06-12T08:49:00.000-07:00

From www.karljenkins.com

The Armed Man - A Mass For Peace

"The Armed Man must be feared;
Everywhere it has been decreed
That everyman should arm himself
With an Iron coat of mail"

Anon, c1450-1463

"The Armed Man - A Mass For Peace" is the result of a special millennial commission from the Royal Armouries and the latest in a six century old tradition of "Armed Man" masses that take the fifteenth century French song "L'Homme Armé" as their starting point.

According to Guy Wilson, Master of the Royal Armouries "The theme that 'the armed man must be feared' which is the message of the song seemed to me painfully relevant to the 20th century and so the idea was born to commission a modern 'Armed Man Mass'. What better way both to look back and reflect as we leave behind the most war-torn and destructive century in human history, and to look ahead with hope and commit ourselves to a new and more peaceful millennium."

Large scale in both scope and scale "The Armed Man" it is a profoundly moving yet very accessible work which uses the most traditional of means to explore an all too contemporary subject. As Karl explains, "As I started composing "The Armed Man" the tragedy of Kosovo unfolded. I was reminded daily of the horror of such conflict and so I dedicate the work to the victims of Kosovo" .

In a manner reminiscent of Britten's War Requiem, "The Armed Man" interpolates a number of different texts within the usual Mass form. Malory, Dryden, Swift, Tennyson, Kipling, The Koran and the Hindu Mahàbharàta contribute to a compelling account of the descent into and terrible consequences of war.

Karl was very moved and much inspired by Guy Wilson's selection of texts and in his music for "The Armed Man" has drawn on a similarly diverse array of cultural and historical sources. It's difficult to think of another composer who could successfully place a muezzin's call to prayer within a Mass setting and follow it with a Kyrie that quotes both Palestrina and Brazilian drum rhythms. That Karl does so with such ease and to such powerful effect is a tribute to his remarkable skill and musical sensitivity.

The CD features Karl Jenkins conducting The London Philharmonic Orchestra and The National Youth Choir of Great Britain alongside soloists Tristan Hambleton (Boy Treble), Mohammed Gad (Muezzin) and Young Musician Of The Year, Guy Johnston (Cello).

"The Armed Man - A Mass For Peace" received its world première in April 2000 at London's Royal Albert Hall. In a rapturous performance, by turns visceral and ethereal, the Mass was "a firebomb of orchestral and human voices" (The Times) that drew "prolonged shouts of approval from the audience" (The Independent).

"Ring out the thousand wars of old
Ring in the thousand years of peace"
Alfred Lord Tennyson
1850

A Huge Undertaking

2009-06-11T13:45:00.000-07:00

I have started this blog to document the project "The Armed Man" (A Mass for Peace). This project is a collaboration between Griffin Choral Arts and the Griffin Ballet Theatre. The performance dates for "The Armed Man" are Friday, March 26, and Saturday, March 27, 2010.

I hope the content here will generate interest in the community, help inform the singers and other performers, and provide a forum for all to share thoughts about this provocative work.