Armagh Cathedral hosts 'The Armed Man', a musical plea for peace

It is an anti-war composition based on the Catholic Mass, with words and quotations from other religious and historical sources.

It reflects the growing menace of war, with reflections on the horror which such violence this brings, but ends with a message of hope.

Its most recent performance took place on Saturday night in St Patrick’s Church of Ireland Cathedral in Armagh, to mark the composer’s 80th birthday earlier this year, and featured the Armagh City Choir, Orchestra, and the distinguished soprano soloist Anastasia Bevan.

The timing was most symbolic, given the appalling warfare in Ukraine, the Middle East and other violence-torn places, and the setting in this ancient cathedral was also appropriate in our own world which has seen so much violence and misunderstanding.

The performance by the choir under its music director Michael Harris, with the sensitive backing of the small but excellent orchestra and its leader Philip Walton, was truly inspiring, and provided much thought for reflection among the packed audience.

The performance also included a Muslim Call to Prayer, recited by Muezzin Omar Abu Abed, and this was another historic moment in a Christian cathedral.

The Armagh City Choir is at the heart of the community in Armagh and its singers come from a wide geographical area, and cultural backgrounds.

It was established in 1987 as a response to the Armagh Music Week, and from the start it was formed from non-auditioned members in order to attract a diverse group of people who simply enjoy music and singing.

Its annual events include performances on Armagh’s Georgian Day and at Christmas, and also a spring concert.

Its latest venture in performing ‘The Armed Man’ so convincingly on Saturday night was memorable in every way.

This was an evening of inspiring, and moving music-making in the cause of peace, despite the dark violence that still overshadows our entire world.