Karl Jenkins has composed a new work for choir and
orchestra, Stella Natalis, as a gift to music lovers of all
stylistic and spiritual backgrounds for the 2009 holiday
season. Its coupling, Joy to the world, features
arrangements by Jenkins of carols from around the globe in
keeping with his inclusive and universal approach to the
message of music. The performers represent a mixture of
classical and popular artistry. “It has been a privilege,”
said Karl Jenkins recently, “to feature the astounding
talents of fellow EMI artists Kate Royal [soprano] and
Alison Balsom [trumpet] and to introduce BBC Radio 2 Young
Chorister of the year 2008, Alice Halstead. The choir is Tenebrae, whilst as a counterpoint to their ‘classical’
sound, I have revisited my past and re-introduced the ethnic
sound of Adiemus, featuring Mary Carewe, who sang on the
first Adiemus album Songs of Sanctuary, and Mae McKenna. My
orchestration has the usual classical and ethnic percussion
mix, the latter played by Jody K Jenkins and Zands. The
orchestra is the Marylebone Camerata, a hand-picked group of
the finest young players in London, assembled by cellist
Jonathan Byers. Stella Natalis means ‘star of birth’ or ‘star of
origin,’ continues Jenkins, “and the music conveys the
Christmas message of peace, goodwill, compassion and a new
beginning whilst using a wider palette of inspiration than
is usual in such treatments: Zulu text, reference to Hindu
gods, as well as the Old Testament, all make an appearance!
The libretto, for the most part, is by Carol Barratt
together with some established text in Latin and English.”
Joy
to the worldconsists
of a set of idiosyncratic arrangements by Karl Jenkins to
carols from England, Germany, France, Spain, the West Indies
and the African-American Go tell it on the mountain.
