A hugely popular choral composition – which promotes peace – is to be performed by Tauranga Civic Choir in its first 2023 concert, on May 19-20.

The choir will perform two concerts of ‘The Armed Man' – or ‘L'homme armé' in French – composed by Welshman Karl Jenkins.

'‘The Armed Man' is a large piece of music for choir and instrumentalists which is anti-war and pro-peace, commissioned at the end of last century,” says the choir's musical director Nigel Williams.

'It's an anti-war piece of music that promotes peace rather than war.”

Nigel says the lyrics are drawn from many parts of the world and from diverse religions and cultures.

'Karl Jenkins uses all sorts of texts from the Catholic mass settings through to an Islamic call to prayer; there's all sorts of text by English poets as well that are set to music, which depict the horrors of war, and the horrifying thing that war is – and that peace is better.

Nigel says ‘The Armed Man' is a popular composition Kiwis still listen to today. 'Radio NZ asked listeners their most popular piece of choral music – and ‘The Armed Man' is right up there.”

'We're performing with a choir of 55 voices – plus we have two trumpet players, two percussionists, a flautist, a cellist, an organist and a pianist. It's a large-scale musical event.”

They are on Friday, May 19 from 7.30pm-9pm, and Saturday, May 20 from 3pm-4.30pm – at St Peter's in the City, 130 Spring St, Tauranga. Purchase tickets at: http://www.taurangacivicchoir.org.nz/concerts.html