Karl Jenkins Stabat Mater

On 15 March 2008 Liverpool Cathedral saw the World Premiere of Welsh composer Karl Jenkins' Stabat Mater, with the RLPO conducted by the composer himself.







From the Programme Note:

Karl Jenkins conductor
Belinda Sykes soprano and duduk
Jurgita Adamonyte soprano
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir
Ian Tracey director

One of the most versatile and best-selling composers in the world, the Welsh musician Karl Jenkins – who initially made his mark in jazz and rock – is now a constant front-runner in Classic FM's Hall of Fame. His music has a universal appeal, touching people of many different backgrounds, faiths and cultures. Best known for Adiemus: Songs of Sanctuary, which has topped classical and pop charts globally, Jenkins has recently enjoyed high-profile commissions for Bryn Terfel and Catrin Finch, while The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace has been taken up worldwide. Following the success of his Requiem, which shot to No.1 in the UK classical charts, his next major work sets the 13th-century Latin poem Stabat Mater; both will be recorded for EMI Classics in 2008. The powerful and moving words of the Stabat Mater, which deals with the suffering of Mary, Jesus Christ's mother, during his crucifixion, has been set to music by many composers.

The composer says, ‘I tend to look outside the purely western European tradition for inspiration and freshness so apart from setting the religious text I will also include words by ancient writers from what is now the Middle-East. My Stabat Mater will also feature some indigenous instruments such as the riq and darabuca, and a female vocalist will conjure sounds and techniques characteristic of the area.'
Everything I write stems back from my classical background. That's where I come from, where I trained and where my inspiration is from. My heroes are Wagner, Strauss and Mahler: they produced the best music ever written.'

Listen to our Karl Jenkins podcast to hear the composer discussing his Stabat Mater.

Liverpool Cathedral © Mark McNulty

Liverpool Cathedral © Mark McNulty

The RLPO and RLPC in Liverpool Cathedral © Mark McNulty