Summary
Sir Karl Jenkins' Benedictus is the penultimate movement from his anti-war mass, The Armed Man. Written twenty-five years ago this year and performed over three thousand times, Sir Karl dedicated it to the victims of the 1998-1999 Kosovo war. It was originally commissioned by The Royal Armouries Museum and premiered for the millennium.
The Armed Man as a whole reflects the descent into war, but the movement of Benedictus' emerges as a message of hope and peace in the aftermath. Benedictus is recognised for its haunting cello theme, in a register unusually high for this resonant instrument. The cello solo gradually expands into a full choir and orchestra.
Benedictus has given solace to listeners through some of the most difficult moments of their lives. We hear some of their stories. Featuring:
British Armed Forces Veteran Michael Young, who served in Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan; Reverand Charles Thody, Priest in Lincolnshire and chaplain for the NHS; Dane Coetzee, cellist in Cape Town, South Africa; And the composer of Benedictus himself, Sir Karl Jenkins and his wife, Lady Carol Jenkins.
Producer: Eliza Lomas for BBC Audio Bristol Sound Engineer: Ilse Lademann Editor: Emma Harding
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | In 2024, we were here for the chatty ones. |
| 0:04.6 | Right, it's time to talk about this with big name podcasts. |
| 0:07.8 | Amazing. |
| 0:08.6 | Side tracked. |
| 0:09.4 | Charlie Axiax. |
| 0:10.5 | Welcome. |
| 0:11.6 | Thanks for having me. |
| 0:12.4 | I'm so excited. |
| 0:13.6 | Desert Island Discs. |
| 0:14.8 | Killion, how have you found choosing your discs? |
| 0:16.8 | I showed a couple of friends the list and they said, oh, well, that's good. |
| 0:19.8 | There's no crazy obscure stuff out there. |
| 0:22.1 | And miss me. |
| 0:23.0 | I was playing the pyramid stage of Blastonbury |
| 0:24.8 | and I was like, |
| 0:25.2 | there's no way they're going to see me walking out on that stage. |
| 0:28.4 | We're like, whatever. |
| 0:29.8 | The best of 2024 is here. |
| 0:32.1 | Listen on BBC Sounds. |
| 0:35.8 | BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts. I can remember the first time I heard it vividly. |
| 0:43.3 | I remember him playing the piano and this amazing tune came and I said oh oh God, that's beautiful. |
| 1:05.0 | There was something about it, which a lot of it was to do with the gaps and the peacefulness and the general mood. |
... |
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