The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace The Armed Man is a Mass by Welsh composer Karl Jenkins, subtitled "A Mass for Peace". Commissioned by the Royal Armouries Museum for the Millennium celebrations, to mark the museum's move from London to Leeds, it was dedicated to victims of the Kosovo crisis. Like Benjamin Britten's War Requiem before it, it is essentially an anti-war piece and is based on the Catholic Mass, which Jenkins combines with other sources. The work has had over 2000 performances since it was first published 17 years ago (first performed 25 April 2000) and continues to be performed by professional choirs and amateur choral societies all over the country. “The Armed Man is probably the most important work I’ve written to date, in that it was pivotal in my changing direction and therefore my musical life. It was dedicated to the victims of Kosovo. The tragedy in the Balkans was unfolding as I composed, and was a constant reminder of the sentiment that was at the core of this work. “The piece was a millennium commission, written in the hope that the 21st century would herald a new beginning but, sadly, the past years have proved otherwise. However, from much of the correspondence I’ve received, it appears the music has brought comfort and solace to many, which is both very humbling and gratifying. The text of The Armed Man draws on numerous different sources, and is meant to be an all-embracing and universal work with a message for all.” Sir Karl Jenkins Best-Selling album Recorded during summer 2000, the album was released on CD and Cassette in September 2001, has achieved double-gold award status in UK having sold over 216,000 copies and remains a constant best-seller on the official Classical Artist Chart. Armistice Day Centenary 2018 The Armistice was signed at 5:00am on 11 November 1918 and came into effect five hours later, bringing about the cessation of hostilities in the First World War. 2018 will see year-long calendar of events leading up to the anniversary. Product Details 2x 180g Gatefold LP with custom inner sleeves (similar in quality and style to last year’s The Queen Symphony – more details to follow). The tracklist follows the 2010 Special Edition with the inclusion of For the Fallen - In Memoriam Alfryn Jenkins.