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Jenkins, Karl

Karl Jenkins

About the composer

Karl Jenkins was born in Wales in 1944. He is a musician and composer. His father, a local schoolteacher, organist, and choirmaster, gave him his initially musical instruction.

Jenkins began his diverse musical career as an oboist in the National Youth Orchestra of Wales. He went on to study music at University of Wales and at the Royal Academy of Music in London. He initially made his mark in jazz.

About the Stabat Mater

Date: 2007
Performers:

Mezzo-soprano, ethnic voice, orchestra and choir

Length: 62 minutes
Particulars:

The world premiere of this work was on march 15th, 2008 at the Anglican Cathedral in Liverpool.
The work is divided into 12 parts. Jenkins has added six parts, texts that lie outside the original poem:
- a choral arrangement of the AveVerum, he original composed for Bryn Terfel
- And the mother did weep, just one line, sung in English, Hebrew, Latin, Aramaic and Greek
- Lament with words of Carol Barrat, written especially for this work
- Incantation, sung in Arabic
- Are you lost in darkness? and
- Now my life is only weeping
The last two are settings of ancient text, revised into the original Stabat Mater rhyming scheme by the poet Graham Davis, sung in both English and Aramaic.
Lots of people brought this work to my attention before I managed to obtain it. Indeed, they are right, this is a beautiful setting of the Stabat Mater. Just listen, use the link on the bottom of the page!

Textual variations:

The "Vatican"-text is used. All stanza's are sung.

Colour bar:

jenkins

Information about the recording

CD: EMI 50999 5 00283 2 0
More info:

I bought this cd on internet in 2008.

Orchestra: Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
Choir: Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir
Conductor: Karl Jenkins
Soloists:

Belinda Sykes, ethnic vocals & mey
Jurgita Adomonytė, mezzo-soprano

Code: 2008 JEN-01 223

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