Karl Jenkins: concert premiere of One World in Linz
The latest large-scale work by Karl Jenkins, One World, receives its concert premiere at the Brucknerhaus in Linz on 19 November with the performance live streamed. This follows the summer release of the album by Decca Records and the publication of the vocal score by Boosey & Hawkes.
Karl Jenkins conducts the world concert premiere of his most recent large-scale work One World at the Brucknerhaus in Linz on 19 November, featuring soloists Roderick Williams and Ruby Hughes and the World Orchestra and Choir for Peace. The performance, selected by UNESCO as its 2023 concert for peace, will also feature live streamed contributions from choristers around the world with the Stay at Home Choir which has collaborated closely with the composer in recent years. The entire concert will be live streamed by the Brucknerhaus and also presented for viewing by Classic FM.
> One World at the Brucknerhaus
> View the live-stream on the Brucknerhaus YouTube page
> View the live-stream on the Classic FM website
Music from One World receives its UK premiere on a tour next spring celebrating the composer’s 80th birthday with performances at the Royal Albert Hall in London, Glasgow, Birmingham, Nottingham, Cardiff and Manchester (10 March – 14 April). The US premiere follows in January 2025 at a Carnegie Hall concert presented by Distinguished Concerts International New York.
One World, scored for soprano, mezzo-soprano, baritone, chorus and orchestra, was composed in 2021-22 and deals with a fractured world (populist governments, plagues, climate change, human trafficking, disrespect for basic human rights, terrorism, war), heralding a vision of a peaceful and egalitarian planet. The score sets texts from the Bible, the Hindu Gayatri Mantra as well as the poetry of Percy Bysshe Shelley, Frances Harper, Kahlil Gibran and Carol Barratt. According to the composer, the new work is, perhaps, best encapsulated by one of the texts: ‘Tikkun Olam’, Hebrew for ‘repair the world’.
Karl Jenkins describes the genesis of One World in his liner booklet for the new recording: “I started work during the first UK lock-down but little progress was made. The working life of a composer is very much akin to lock-down, in that one is isolated, so that fact alone was not the issue. Eventually I had a chat with Nicol Matt, the German founder and musical director of The World Choir for Peace (WCP) with whom I had worked, together with the World Orchestra for Peace (WOP), on my 2018 ‘Armed Man Berlin’ project, marking 100 years since the end of The Great War. He was looking for a work suitable for his choir, so we exchanged ideas and combined projects. One World was conceived. Nicol has been invaluable at the creative core of this project from the start with his input on text and ideas greatly appreciated. The third member of this trinity was Carol Barratt (musician/librettist), who provided words and adaptations for a number of movements. She has been at the heart of the composition, production and the creative process from beginning to end while also providing a sounding board for the composer, as Lady Jenkins!”
> View our score video taster of One World
> Buy the vocal score
> Buy the CD from Decca
> Download and stream the recording
In addition to performances of One World on the UK tour, 80th birthday celebrations for Karl Jenkins include the UK premiere of his recent saxophone concerto Stravaganza on 29 February in Swansea featuring soloist Jess Gillam and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. The work was commissioned by BBC Radio 3 and the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin and explores themes of carnival and extravagant fantasy.
For further information on Karl Jenkins and his music visit:
> Karl Jenkins at Boosey & Hawkes
> Karl Jenkins website