The Armed Man – A Mass for Peace

A great cause is helped by some great players and some great playing too as the Brass Band Aid Celebrity Band strut their stuff.

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Brass Band Aid Celebrity Band
Brass Band Aid Festival Chorus
International Staff Songsters with various brass soloists
Conductor: Howard J Evans
B&H Sound Services: BHSS0536
Total running time: 67.55 mins

Karl Jenkins’ “The Armed Man” was commissioned by The Royal Armouries as part of their millennium celebrations. Having arranged a series of concerts featuring some of the masses written around “L’homme arme” in the 15th & 16th centuries, Karl Jenkins was approached to compose a modern “Armed Man Mass”. 

This he proceeded to do, drawing on poetry and prose from a range of periods and traditions to produce a work that would reflect today’s multi-cultural society. The work was recorded soon after the premiere by the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the National Youth Choir of Great Britain, under the direction of the composer.

The link with Brass band Aid came about through students Andrew Wainwright and Duncan Gibbs, who transcribed the work for brass band, choir and organ as part of the final year of their music degree at Middlesex University. Following the premiere of this version in April 2005, in the presence of the composer, a second performance took place in Bromley in May 2006, raising money for Brass Band Aid. 

The suggestion was then made to produce a recording, the proceeds going to that cause, and the sessions took place in May 2007.

Just as the church in more recent days has often adopted secular melodies, so composers in earlier times used to write what were known as “parody masses”, where they would take themes from existing familiar songs and use them as the basis for their settings of the mass. The original words would not have been featured, but in “The Armed Man”, the text is the starting point from which everything develops. Karl Jenkins uses various styles to depict a range of emotions, but the music is always accessible and frequently moving. 

The texts all relate to various aspects of war and its aftermath, notably juxtaposing verses concerning the effects of the atomic bomb at Hiroshima with an Indian text from the 6th Century BC, as a reminder that the obscenity of mass destruction is not only a recent phenomenon. The final section, “Better is peace”, uses words by Thomas Malory and Alfred Lord Tennyson to point to a better way.

Comparing the two versions reveals what an excellent job Andrew and Duncan have done, and there are very few instances where the new version is in any way inferior. One is aware of certain differences, such as the lighter tubular bells at the start of “Angry Flames” replacing the deeper tolling bells of the original. There are remarkable similarities in instrumental tone, with judicious selection of brass or organ accordingly. Perhaps most importantly, the accompaniment never overshadows the singing, whether solo or chorus. 

The dynamic range of the recording is very large, and listeners may find they need to adjust their usual setting to pick up the quieter passages.

In the opening, Peter Roberts on soprano cornet makes a fine substitute for the piccolo of the orchestral version, whilst soprano Louise Turner seems to lighten her voice for the “Kyrie”, sung by a boy treble in the original. There are passages where the emphasis is rather different, such as the words “Excites us”, very crisp and incisive in the original, less so this time round, whilst the reverse could be said of the “Hosanna” sections in “Benedictus”, which makes considerable use of Joanne Childs on flugel as well as David on euphonium. 

Cornets replace horns in the duet at the start of “Angry flames”, and the hard-working percussion section acquit themselves particularly well throughout.

The chorus, comprising members of Bromley Temple Songsters, Exeter Festival Chorus and guests, is impressive, matching the enthusiasm of the National Youth Choir whilst, if anything, coping rather better with passages such as the very high-lying soprano line “How blest is he who for his country dies” in “Charge!” 

They also bring off the shout and subsequent wailing at the end of that movement very effectively - not quite what most songsters would be familiar with! The final verse, coming at the end of the quite exuberant and exhilarating “Better is Peace”, is beautifully sung by the International Staff Songsters of The Salvation Army, providing an almost ethereal close. 

Howard Evans is no stranger to choral conducting, having led many items at the Royal Albert Hall and other venues during his time as National Bandmaster, and he controls his forces well, reflecting the various moods of the music and the texts.

Whilst having set out to do a detailed comparison between the two versions, it soon became a case of simply sitting back and enjoying the music. The band assembled for the occasion is drawn from various sources, with many notable personalities taking part, often in subsidiary roles, such as Robert Childs on 2nd euphonium and Chris Thomas on 2nd trombone, with Peter Roberts’ contribution being particularly noteworthy. Other players are highlighted at various points, but it is the overall ensemble that is most impressive.

The production is attractively packaged, with detailed notes including an English version of the text, and a full list of all the vocalists and instrumentalists involved. Andrew and Duncan are to be commended for their work, which could be the answer for other bands wanting to arrange joint concerts with a choir, and looking for something more substantial than the “March of the Peers” or “The Lost Chord”. 

As for the recording, it is most highly recommended: an excellent hour’s music-making, a moving musical experience and the chance to support a good cause in the process.

Peter Bale

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