Karl Jenkins: Requiem

Being an avid listener to classic fm i regulary get the chance to scope out the classical music that inspires me from day to day. When i first heard Karl Jenkins i was immediatley struck buy how interesting his music was.
Listening to requiem the first track on the album, showed how well Karl, in terms of originality combines the influence of a bit of gospel and still manages to keep the music sacred. Buy using chords in alot of the music on this album that do relate to jazz music and gospel its amazing to see the contrast and how he makes it work for the listener. It was said that Ravel influnced alot of the work Miles Davis and its the same with karl Jenkins.
The lyrics take time to understand, but its is very common for choral works to be sung in a different language than our native country. I feel it adss to the mysteriousness of it all and makes the listener feel magical. With track 15 nawr by agorawd you can tell that some words nawr means now in welsh, and this helps keep the balance. Lisa Gerrard was renowned for composing music which she sang to in her own langauge that she had made up in her head and people commended her for it. As long as it works for you sometimes i can be a nice contrast and difference to the listener who will feel that it is nice to hear some difference to choral music which people will know has a particular style and form to it and that style and form must remain untouched and never change. But Karl jenkins shows he is trying to push those boundarys.
The Consistance of each track on the album does make you feel you get the right mixture of short and long tracks to make you feel inspired. I do feel that the tracks that you want to listen too may end to quickly and you feel that you need to listen to the track a bit longer to continue to be filled. I particuley feel this with the track in paradisum is long enough to make me feel inspired but with agorawd part 2 ends to quickly in the excitement when you hear the build up of harmony of the layers of voices backed by the resounding orchestra that gives the right build up from start to finish an air of strongness.
In Contrast however you can tell track 2 Dies Irae really sets out to hit you in the face right from the first moment, you can hear the song of the string section that almost had an beat rhythem to it that makes you think of club tunes with that beat effect in the background with the singer over the top. And then a constant repetition from start to the finish, right to the end with endless voices singing one thing men first and then women second makes you feel like a scary ghost coming towards you and the noise gets louder and louder to the finish.
And then we get the calm of the storm with the tracks 3 and 4 with the chinese people singing with the authentic chinese instruments which gives a interesting change. a real eclectic mixture of styles of music is ever present and tracks 3 and 4 are good for meditation or focusing on reflective music - the ideal music to play for a church service in the background if your trying to have a time of prayer or a prayer day for people of the world.
Compared to other releases this one focuses on the choral music in a modern style where as other albums focus and providing the very reflective music you would use in a church service. My mother has used alot of Karl Jenkins in church services, but uses stigmata album alot more than requiem. both albums offer the same quality of music and you will find their isn't much difference, except this focuses on choral music than reflective music unacommpanied. Their is also a sense of happy and sad music on this album where as albums like Karls Armed man gives that sense of being sad and upsetting with the music and you can hear it this gives the mixture
All in all Karl Jenkins offers excellent value for money because you get music that is groung breaking, And is a cross between difference of two emotions. What you will get is music to make you want to progress to some more challanging advanced material with an adult, or youth choir to show its worth. The works are technically very some of the most challanging alot like Lux Aurumque by Eric whitacre but will make any choir feel they can achieve the impossible. If thats what any choir is looking for go for it i say. Having performed Karl jenkins songs myself with choirs in the past, i can only say the feeling of exhilaration i felt after i had achieve that milestone made me feel ten feet tall and so will you!