Remembrance Day - The Armed Man

Hi folks,

Wednesday, I played a Remembrance Day concert with the King Edward Singers in Barrie -- the piece was "The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace" by Karl Jenkins. A beautiful work, with some lovely cello passages (and some hair-raising bowing technique - aiyaiyai!). It was a real pleasure, although emotionally quite difficult, when I caught a glimpse of obvious veterans in the audience, and their reactions.

Of course, some of the reactions were quite humorous! In one movement, it's mostly men singing a capella with slow, quiet lines. Then all of a sudden, completely out of nowhere, there's a huge CRASH in the percussion -- everyone jumped, then looked around nervously and giggled a little bit. Not, perhaps, the effect Mr. Jenkins was looking for. ;-)

But it was a very moving piece, and I enjoyed participating in it. John Swartz of the Orillia Packet & Times pointed out that this is the same composer who wrote the music to that famous DeBeers diamond commercial campaign. I mentioned this to some friends as we were leaving (Sandra Ruttan, of the Amity Trio, and her husband Rob), who laughed at the irony... yes, trust a poet to notice. :-)

Well, I've just spent two days in front of the computer screen, trying to get some software fixed up for the Orillia Folk Society. I think I've had enough of computer screens! More later.

Musically,
Alyssa