A very powerful piece of music I think fellow DUers would LOVE!

[Obamarama]

I debated whether to post this here or the lounge, but thought more people might learn about this via GD.

I am listening, for the first time, to a beautiful and moving piece of contemporaty classical music by Karl Jenkins called "The Armed Man: A Mass For Peace."

It's a traditional classical Mass, updated with an anti-war message for today's world. I don't generally like new classical music, but this is a PHENOMENALLY beautiful and moving piece.

You can listen to snippets here: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00005NDVJ/102-4243056-0571346?v=glance

A good overview from wikipedia:

The text includes words from the Islamic call to prayer, the Bible (e.g. the Psalms and Revelation), the Ordinary of the Mass (e.g. Kyrie Eleison, Sanctus), texts from authors such as Rudyard Kipling and Alfred Lord Tennyson, as well as a survivor of the Hiroshima bombing.

The piece begins with a representation of marching feet, overlaid later by the shrill tones of the higher woodwind section emulating the flutes of a military band. It stirs images of the Napoleonic age, of "Redcoats" and war being glorious. The Sanctus seems to continue this theme as God is praised even as we proceed into war. Perhaps this is symbolic of "holy war" - God is on our side. Kipling's Hymn before Action stirs the listener much as Roman gladiators would with their "We, who are about to die, salute you, Caesar." Then the charge with blaring trumpets, crashing drums ending in the agonised screams of the dying. This is followed by an eerie silence, broken by the evocative sound of a lone trumpet playing the Last Post.

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Armed_Man"

[yorkiemommie1]

1. thanks,

listening now.

[housewolf]

2. Fubulous!

Thanks for posting

[pnorman]

3. Thanks from me also.

That was the first time I had ever heard of it. But I checked it out, and it's available from Amazon.com for $14.00. Samples from each portion can be heard here: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00005NDVJ/ref=pm_dp_ln_m_2/102-1074955-1398546?v=glance&s=music&vi=samples

pnorman

[Obamarama]

4. I heard it in its entirety broadcast on a British classical station...

It's a great station that I listen to everyday online. It's called Classic FM. It is so COOL. They have a top-40 format, but only it's for classical music: radio call-in requests, request your favorite classical piece, Top-10 playlists, specialized broadcasts for morning and evening drive times, lunch hour, etc.... I could never imagine a classical station like this succeeding here in the U.S. I think the British pitifully out-culture us.

I get exposed to all types of music you'd NEVER hear on a U.S. classical station.

Here's a link if you'd like to listen:

http://www.classicfm.com/index.cfm?nodeId=35&sw=1024