Distinguished Concerts International - New York

The Music of Karl Jenkins

A review of our January 19, 2009 concert

New York Concert Review

The works of Karl Jenkins, along with topping charts worldwide, have earned him fellowships, professorships, countless honors, and an OBE from Her Majesty, the Queen. Many know him only through his commercial themes (e.g., the ubiquitous De Beers ad), but an evening of U.S. and world premieres of his music, including Te Deum, a new Violin Concerto, and his Stabat Mater, should do much to dispel prejudices. His music is direct, appealing, and at times profoundly moving.

Jonathan Griffith began the concert expertly conducting the DCINY Singers and Orchestra in the U.S. Premiere of Te Deum, a rousing fanfare savored by the brass and percussion. Written in a fresh, yet accessible tonal style, it offered a lyrical middle section of quasi-Baroque sequences which stretched into surprisingly imaginative long-breathed phrases. It was captivating.

The World Premiere of the Violin Concerto, "Sarikiz," followed, written for and performed by Marat Bisengaliev (conducted inspiringly by Jenkins himself). Despite Kazakh folk references and percussion (the dabel and kepshek), the work was to this listener the least engaging of the three. A virtuoso vehicle that could make one's bow arm drop off, it was, in its perpetual motion outer movements, quite liberal with repetition. Its high point was the soulful lyricism over throbbing orchestral accompaniment in the central Romanza.

In the U.S. Premiere of Stabat Mater (under Griffith), an hour-long work of twelve movements, traditional Latin text was augmented with verses from various languages and eras, colored with Middle Eastern modes and instruments. Though the harmonic language overall was hardly revolutionary, the juxtaposition of various styles and cultures gave it freshness and universality. If harmonic settings of crucifixion references sounded occasionally prettified to this listener, the anguished vocals of Belinda Sykes more than counterbalanced. Ms. Sykes, who also played the double-reeded mey, sang in Arabic style with astounding passion and artistry. Charlotte Daw Paulsen's elegant contralto solos complemented her well. The cumulative effect of the work was potent, and it brought the cheering audience to its feet. It was a rare and exhilarating experience to feel such collective euphoria for works by a contemporary classical composer.

Rorianne Schrade