Jenkins and Scriabin 2024

Slough Philharmonic Chorus and Orchestra with Marlow Community Choir
Saturday 18 May 2024, 7.30pm 
Taplow Court, SL6 0ER

Jenkins The Armed Man - A Mass for Peace
Scriabin Poème de l’extase

Karl Jenkins’ deeply moving anti-war Mass for Peace is perhaps the nation’s favourite piece of contemporary music if its enduring Top Ten position in the Classic FM Hall of Fame is anything to go by.  It depicts the growing menace of a war and the horrors and grief it brings, with moments of reflection and ending with the hope for peace in a new millennium.  Listen for the sublime melodies of the Agnus Dei, the sinister marching army in the Sanctus, the post-apocalyptic aftermath of Hiroshima and the haunting Benedictus with a heavenly choral accompaniment.  
Jenkins uses many meaningful sources for the text.  There are sections from the traditional mass, the poetry of Rudyard Kipling and Tennyson, the sixteenth century French L’Homme Armé, psalms from the bible, historical Hindu texts and the beautiful and reflective Muslim call to prayer. Its message to humanity to accept each other’s beliefs and ideologies could not be more poignantly delivered.  
“When you listen to Poeme d’Extase,” Scriabin told his friend Ivan Lipaev, “look straight into the eye of the sun!”  Written by a composer who literally heard music in colours and planned a show of coloured lights to accompany his masterpiece, the “ecstasy” of the title refers to the creative process of art – in this case, music.  A languid opening, a sense of flying, a churning tempest and a full orchestral ending form this story of creative and spiritual awakening.


We are grateful to SGI-UK, the owners of Taplow Court, for allowing this concert to take place in their auditorium. Weather permitting, you are invited to arrive early and enjoy a complimentary drink in the beautiful gardens before the concert.

Part of the ticket proceeds of this concert will go to the charity Soundabout: who make music change the lives of  individals with complex support needs.  

All tickets include a free concert programme
There is car parking at the venue and step free access.