Ana Beard Fernández soprano
Osama Kiwan muezzin
Nirmala Rajasekar veena & voice
Tanjore Murugaboopathi mridangam
Hertfordshire Chorus
London Orchestra da Camera
David Temple conductor
In the historic setting of St Albans Cathedral we are pleased to present two compelling choral works urging us to look towards a better and more peaceful future.
The Armed Man
Subtitled a ‘Mass for Peace’, this well-known modern choral classic was composed by Karl Jenkins for the Royal Armouries Museum’s Millennium celebrations and was dedicated to victims of the Kosovo crisis. Loved by both audiences and choirs, this powerful work has a deep emotional impact. Charting the growing menace of a descent into war, and interspersed with moments of reflection, it shows the horrors that war brings and ends with the hope for peace in a new millennium.
Composed to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Indian Independence, this stunning world premiere uses texts from Sarojini Naidu’s poetry to celebrate her legacy; her political contributions, artistic prowess, advocacy of women’s rights and her impact on India’s fight to be free from British rule along with her hope for a better future.
Composer Shruthi Rajasekar was named a “Rising Star” by the BBC Music Magazine in 2020 and chosen by The Guardian as a composer “who will enrich your life”. She specialises in music that draws from her unique background in the Carnatic (South Indian classical) and Western classical styles. Performed across North America, Europe, and Asia, Shruthi’s music has reached hundreds of thousands of listeners.
We are delighted to be able to perform Shruthi’s exciting new work with two of the greatest living exponents of Carnatic music, Nirmala Rajasekar on veena and Tanjore Murugaboopathi on mridanga.
