Welsh composer Karl Jenkins (born 1944) creates soundscapes in which influences from non-European musical cultures merge with elements of Western pop, film, and classical music to form a harmonious language.
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Grafik von Anna von Garnier auf der Grundlage eines Fotos von Mohsen Karimi.)
His composition Stabat Mater, which premiered in Liverpool in 2008, is based on the medieval hymn of the same name, Stabat Mater Dolorosa, which describes Mary's suffering at the sight of her crucified son.
Jenkins expands the Latin prayer with texts from Middle Eastern cultures and languages—for example, the Arabic invocation "Pray for us, O holy Mary" or the phrase "And the mother did weep," which is heard simultaneously in English, Latin, Greek, Aramaic, and Hebrew. In addition, he draws on poems with references to the ancient Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh and texts by the Persian mystic Rumi, placing them alongside liturgical pieces such as the Ave verum corpus and a newly composed English lament.
Musically, Jenkins combines elements of sacred choral music with the timbres of oriental musical traditions. Ornamented vocal lines, the melancholic timbre of the Armenian duduk, and the ostinato rhythm of Arabic frame drums intertwine to create a spiritual soundscape. The result is a work that makes cultural diversity audible and culminates in a universal lament for suffering and grief—a moving meditation on humanity and compassion.
You can also hear this extraordinary Stabat Mater on Good Friday (April 3) at 3 p.m. in the Marienfelde village church.
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