This year, the UWA Choral Society and Fremantle Symphony Orchestra will mark ANZAC Day with a special performance of Welsh composer Karl Jenkins’ The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace. The piece was commissioned by the Royal Armouries Museum for the Millennium celebrations and was dedicated to victims of the Kosovo crisis. Combining the Catholic Mass with other sources, principally the 15th century folk song “L’homme armé”, it is a powerful reminder of the pain and horrors of war – and the promise of peace. Ultimately, Jenkins’ work celebrates life, reminding us that even one death is too many and each life is sacred and unique.
Joining UWACS and FSO are some special guests including the Aquinas College Schola Cantorum and guest vocalists:
Soprano - Katja Webb
Mezzo Soprano - Brigitte Heuser
Tenor - Ammon Bennett
Bass - Jake Bigwood
The concert will start with a smaller piece by West Australian composer David Pye titled Threnody, which responds to the deaths at Gallipoli from both the Allied and Turkish points of view.