80 years of peace: Karl Jenkins' The Armed Man takes Rostock

80 years of peace: Karl Jenkins' The Armed Man takes Rostock

Rostock, Deutschland - On July 5, 2025, Rostock experienced a very special event: The North German Philharmonic performed the impressive "The Armed Man - A Mass for Peace" by Karl Jenkins in the Church of St. Marien. This evening had an important occasion: the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. The composer himself, Karl Jenkins, celebrates his 80th birthday this weekend, which made the performance even more significant.

"The Armed Man", subtitle "Peace Mass", is more than just a piece of music. It combines musical and spiritual elements from different cultures and epochs. In the composition there are medieval melodies, the Islamic call to prayer "Allahu Akhbar", Latin measuring chants and even texts by Rudyard Kipling and poetry from Hiroshima. Jenkins' goal was to raise an urgent appeal against war and violence with this work, and to convey the topic of peace, humanity and reconciliation through a multi -layered sound. So the composition is both a lawsuit and an expression of hope.

a musical interplay of cultures

over 200 participants, including various choirs and cantorations such as the Rostock Motettenchor and the opera choir of the Volkstheater, contributed to this impressive concert. The line -up, which includes a four -part mixed choir, two soloists (soprano and muezzin) and a symphonic orchestra, ensures a rich and powerful sound. The performance on July 5th was part of a tradition that developed from the premiere of the work on April 25, 2000 in the Royal Albert Hall in London. Since then, "The Armed Man" has been performed about 3,000 times, which makes it one of the most frequently played works of contemporary repertoire and has been in the British album charts for over 18 years.

Jenkins ’composition is devoted to the victims of KosovOrrieg and addresses the horrors of the war and hope for peace. As wikipedia describes in detail, the work establishes a connection between different cultural and religious backgrounds - a concern that also becomes clear in the current debate about the performances of "The Armed Man" in churches. In Switzerland there was a recent dispute over the admissibility of the prayer call in a church. The decision to refrain from this was made to avoid possible disorders, whereby Jenkins' wish to emphasize the common peace of religions remains important.

The composer in the focus

Karl Jenkins is not only celebrated as a composer, but also receives the price of European church music in 2024 for his outstanding contributions to music. His works, such as the "One World" project, are an expression of his political vision for a peaceful planet. He describes himself as a "musical hiker" and has an impressive career behind him, which was crowned by the Queen, among other things, with the award as the first Welsh composer.

The performance "The Armed Man" in Rostock was not only a musical highlight, but also an important step to put peace and reconciliation to the fore. Music reflects the diversity and the challenges of our time and reminds that peace can be possible through music and art. Further information can be found in the articles of concerti, wikipedia [katholisch.de] (https://www.katholisch.de/artikel/51134-musik-die -zen-und-heilt-komponist-karl-jenkins-werd-80).