IN THE centenary year of the end of the First World War, Malmesbury Abbey Music Society is sponsoring Malmesbury Singers to perform an iconic piece of music which has become an anthem for the fallen of the First World War.
The Malmesbury Singers with director Iain Duffin will be joined by the Bristol Ensemble and Soprano Hannah Davey on Saturday, April 21 for the moving performance at Malmesbury Abbey.
The Armed Man is a Mass by Welsh composer Karl Jenkins and was commissioned by the Royal Armouries Museum for the Millennium celebrations, to mark the museum's move from London to Leeds. It was dedicated to victims of the Kosovo crisis.
Like Benjamin Britten's War Requiem before it, it is essentially an anti-war piece and is based on the Catholic Mass, which Jenkins combines with other sources, principally the 15th century folk song "L'homme armé" in the first and last movements.
The Armed Man charts the growing menace of a descent into war, interspersed with moments of reflection; shows the horrors that war brings; and ends with the hope for peace in a new millennium.
Among other notable performances, it was chosen for performance during Pope Francis’ visit to New York in 2015.
The performance will start at 7.30pm.
Tickets £18 (£5 students) from the Abbey Bookshop, mamsmusic.co.uk and 01666 824924
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