Ramsey Choral presents

Karl Jenkins’ Mass for Peace:

The Armed Man

Saturday April 16th 20117.30 p.m.

St Paul’s Church, Ramsey

retiring collection refreshments

Ramsey Choral

Director of Music Christa McCartney Chairman Peter Cannell

Our thanks to the Vicar and Churchwardens of St Paul’s

Thanks also to the Minister and Elders of Trinity URCfor our rehearsal space

Special thanks to Rev. David Greenwood,our accompanist.

Ramsey Choralgratefully acknowledges the assistance of the

Isle of Man Arts Council.Thanks to a grant from them

we were able to hire full scores for the musicians.

Ramsey Choral

presents

Karl Jenkins’ Mass for Peace:

The Armed Man

Musical director Christa McCartney

with

Emily Coates - soprano

Mandy Griffin - alto

Nicholas J. Roberts - tenor

Geoff Collier - bass

Claire Creer - flute

Jane Creer - percussion

David Greenwood - organ

Robert Quane & Graham Osbourne - trumpet

Janet Warburton - cello

and

El-Rasheed Abdalla - muezzin

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M.A. (Music Education), B.A.Hons, AmusTCL, DipABRSM.Took over as Musical Director of the Ramsey Choral in 2010 shortly afterreturning to the Island following her Choral Conducting studies underProfessor Peter Erdel at the Kodály Institute/Liszt Academy in Hungary, whereshe also gained an M.A. in Kodály Musicianship Teaching. Holds diplomas invoice, piano and composition and is the Island’s only fully qualified Kodályteacher. She now teaches musicianship on the Island at many levels from pre-school to adult.

is currently studying Music and Drama at the University ofManchester. This is her second performance with Ramsey Choral, after singingthe soprano solo in John Rutter’s beautiful at last year’s springconcert.. She is delighted to be back singing this exciting piece in her hometown, and is particularly thrilled to be alongside her former singing teacherMandy Griffin.

is having a busy year musically, on and off the Island, rangingfrom panto to Mozart and Vivaldi, via Britten and William Walton! She wouldlike to dedicate this performance to his Honour Deemster Kerruish, who passedaway last July. It was a privilege to work as one of his clerks for five years - hewas an inspiration to her singing, and is a fitting tribute.

came to the Isle of Man in 1992 and is known for bothperformances and pedagogic research. His education was completed atAberystwyth University and since then he has furthered his education in thearea of Special Education and Composition. As well as being a singer and vocalcoach he plays various keyboard instruments. Recordings of his compositionwork are available on ITunes.

has performed with Ramsey Choral on several previous occasions.Since moving to the Island in 1998 he has relished performing at the Gaiety asa principal in Gilbert and Sullivan productions. He enjoys performing inconcert, both as a soloist and with local chorales and . Geoff isa member of Trinity Methodist Church choir in Douglas and is training tobecome a Methodist Local Preacher.

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Mass for Peace - the Armed Man

“Ring out the thousand wars of old, Ring in the thousand years of peace”

Karl Jenkins’ Mass for Peace, was commissioned bythe Royal Armouries to mark the millennium year in 2000 and wasdedicated to the victims of the Kosovo crisis.

An account of the descent into war and the terrible consequences, itfollows tradition in using the mediaeval song as thefoundation for a work based on the Christian liturgy of the Mass thatalso draws on very different sources.

The first casualty of war is not truth, despite the cliché. It is people.People who are convinced that “the enemy” is out there andthreatening, and who discover that from that point of view theythemselves are “the enemy”. Not only people - destruction comes toall living things and animals and plants too are annihilated, as the briefbut telling “Torches” remind us.

The text for “Torches” is from the ancient Indian epic inwhich brave warriors find themselves fighting people just like them -members of the same family, indeed - to the destruction of anythingresembling normal life.

Eleven years after was completed we are all too awareof the consequences of war. That is largely why Ramsey Choral isdedicating this presentation to Help for Heroes. Those who are mostacutely suffering the consequences of war need compassion andkindness just as acutely.

We are still, perhaps, hoping for the “thousand years of peace”.urges us never to abandon that hope.

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L’homme armé doit on douter.On a fait partout crier que chacun se viegne armer

d’un haubregon de fer.

Allahu Akbar, Allahu AkbarAsh’hadu an la ilaha illa Allah

Ash’hadu anna Muhammadan Rasool AllahHayya ‘ala-s-SalahHayya ‘ala-l Falah

Allahu AkbarLa ilaha illa Allah

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Kyrie, eleison; Christe, eleison; Kyrie, eleison

Be merciful unto me, O God, for man would swallow me up.He fighting daily oppresseth me.

Mine enemies would daily swallow me up:for they be many that fight against me.

O thou most high.Defend me from them that rise up against me.

Deliver me from the workers of iniquity,and save me from bloody men.

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.

Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus Dominus Deus Sabaoth.Pleni sunt caeli et terra gloria tua.

Hosanna in excelsis.

The earth is full of anger, the seas are dark with wrath,The Nations in their harness go up against our path;

Ere yet we loose the legions - ere yet we draw the blade,Jehovah of the Thunders, Lord God of Battles, aid!

High lust and froward bearing, proud heart, rebellious brow -Dead ear and soul uncaring, we see thy mercy now!

The sinner that forswore Thee, the fool that passed Thee by,Our times are known before Thee - Lord, grant us strength to die!

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The trumpet’s loud clangour excites us to armswith shrill notes of anger and mortal alarms.

The double, double beat of the thundering drumcries hark! The foes come.

Charge, ‘tis too late to retreat ...

Pushing up through smoke from a world half darkenedby overhanging cloud -

the shroud that mushroomed out and struck the dome of the skyBlack, Red, Blue - dance in the air, merge,

scatter glittering sparks,already tower over the whole city.

Quivering like seaweed, the mass of flames spurts forward.Popping up in the dense smoke, crawling out wreathed in fire:

countless human beings on all fours.In a heap of embers that erupt and subside,

hair rent, rigid in death,there smoulders a curse.

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The animals scattered in all directions, screaming terrible screams.Many were burning, others were burnt.

All were shattered and scattered mindlessly, their eyes bulging.Some hugged their sons, others their fathers and mothers,

unable to let them go, and so they died.Others leapt up in their thousands, faces disfigured

and were consumed by the fire. Everywhere were bodies

squirming on the ground, wings eyes and paws all burning.They breathed their last as living torches.

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis;Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis;

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, dona nobis pacem.

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Silent,So silent, now,

Now the guns have stopped.

I have survived all,I, who knew I would not.

But now you are not here.I shall go home alone;

And must try to live life as before,And hide my grief

For you, my dearest friend,Who should be with me now,

Not cold, too soon,And in your grave,

Alone.

Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini.Hosanna in excelsis.

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Better is peace than always warAnd better is peace than evermore war.

Ring out the thousand wars of old.Ring in the thousand years of peace.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,Ring, happy bells, across the snow.

The year is going, let him go;

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Ring out old shapes and foul disease;Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;Ring out the thousand wars of old,

Ring in the thousand years of peace.

Ring in the valiant man and free,The larger heart, the kindlier hand;Ring out the darkness of the land;

Ring in the Christ that is to be.

God shall wipe away all tearsAnd there shall be no more death

Neither sorrow nor cryingNeither shall there be any more pain.

Praise the Lord.

Thank you for joining us this evening.There will be a retiring collection.

Please join us now for refreshmentsin St Paul’s Church Hall

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Ramsey Choral Christmas Concert will be on Saturday 16thDecember 2011 at St Paul’s Church

Rehearsals will begin on Monday 10th September 2011 in the hall atTrinity United Reformed Church, Waterloo Road, Ramsey.

Rehearsals begin at 7.15 p.m.

You are very welcome to join us.

dc4ramseychoralapril2011