As part of its 75th anniversary season, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra returns to Northampton’s Royal & Derngate on Sunday 6 February for an afternoon concert of choral and orchestral classics including Sir Karl Jenkins’ The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace.
Under the baton of conductor Adrian Partington, the concert opens with two gems of the English symphonic repertoire. Walton’s Portsmouth Point brings a perfect musical picture postcard of the English seaside, while Elgar’s Introduction and Allegro for String is a heartfelt and dramatic symphonic poem for string quartet and orchestra.
Sir Karl Jenkins is one of the most performed living composers in the world, best known for his acclaimed Adiemus songs and the timeless choral masterpiece, The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace. This evocative work forms the highlight of the concert and features soprano soloist Rebecca Bottone and muezzin Naeem Mahmood, alongside the Northampton Bach Choir.
The Armed Man combines the traditional Latin mass text with musical influences from both Western and Eastern traditions, including the Muslim call-to-prayer and texts from Rudyard Kipling to Japanese poet Sankichi Tōge. Traversing the human side of war, it ranges from serene reflection to the dramatic climax of battle, always retaining the narrative that peace is always better than war.
The concert starts at 3pm on Sunday 6 February in Derngate auditorium. Tickets are priced from £17*, with tickets for under 14s and schools at just £5 each. To book, call Box Office on 01604 624811 or go to www.royalandderngate.co.uk.
* A charge of £3.50 applies for all transactions of £20 and over. Does not apply to Groups, Members or Disabled Patrons, and is per-transaction, not per-ticket.