Performance: The Armed Man
The Armed Man (TAM) is about war. Churchill, the war chief in the early 1940s, is full of quotations, just like Shakespeare the poet about almost everything.
Ten years ago nobody had heard of The Armed Man by Karl Jenkins. Now it has twice been performed in Golden Bay and Motueka as well as in many big cities around the world.
The piece will be perfomed in the Takaka Primary School on election evening at 7.30pm and the Motueka Memorial Hall on the following afternoon at 2pm, 27 November. The work is multi-lingual and multi-religious. An Anglican priest will deliver the Islamic “Call to Prayer” and the combined choirs from the top of the South Island will include Blenheim, Golden Bay, Motueka and Nelson Choral Societies (up to 90 musicians and orchestral players altogether).
There is an exciting percussion part with a military flavour and three trumpets to support a very elaborate text. In some venues there will be a back-drop of filmed war scenes.
The Armed Man is an exciting work with an excellent team of orchestral players. It often engenders tears and the audience generally remains silent and transfixed after the work concludes with a magnificent chorale featuring absolutely everybody.
It will be preceded in the first half by items from our local choirs both separately and together. Their repertoire will include Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody.
Steve Austin (from Blenheim) and Carl Browning (from Nelson) will feature as the two principal conductors and Bill Buck in his inimitable way will provide an outstanding musical experience from the piano and organ.
Takaka performance: Saturday 26 November (Election Day) in The Takaka Primary School at 7.30pm. Tickets $10 per person/ whole family admission $25.
Submitted by Carl Browning
