AT St David’s Cathedral, on Saturday, July 18, Côr Dyfed Choir will perform a popular work, voted number one in Classic FM Hall of Fame this year, alongside the British Sinfonietta.

The work is The Armed Man, by Karl Jenkins, which the choir will perform along with John Rutter’s Requiem.

The subtitle to The Armed Man is A Mass for Peace, particularly pertinent in the current political climate. Welsh composer Sir Karl Jenkins (born February 17, 1944) composed this work during the Kosovo War (1998-99). It was commissioned by the Royal Armouries to mark the turn of the millennium and the composer dedicated it to the victims of the Kosovo War. The work was premiered at the Royal Albert Hall in London in April 2000.

The work seeks to unite all faiths and creeds, using part of the Christian mass together with the call to prayers. (Adhaan). The Armed Man opens with the army marching towards conflict, followed by battle, the terrible aftermath of the fighting; its effect on animal and humankind and ending with bells ringing out and a plea for peace.

The orchestral scoring is very exciting, with battle trumpets and percussion and a solo trumpet playing the last post after the battle.

Completed and first performed in 1985, John Rutter’s Requiem was dedicated to the English composer’s father, who had died the previous year. It consists of five movements based on text from the Latin Requiem Mass, plus two psalm-based pieces, ‘Out of the deep’ and ‘The Lord is my Shepherd’.

Côr Dyfed: “We hope to fill St David’s Cathedral with amazing, inspiring music for this performance. Please come and join us on Saturday, July 18, 7.30pm.”

Visit www.dyfedchoir.co.uk for further information; To buy tickets, visit www.ticketsource.com and search for ‘Cor Dyfed’.