Karl Jenkins is a Welsh musical giant: renowned for his Adiemus album series and his maverick approach to the classics, in 2023 his appearance at King Charles’ coronation put him back on the global stage. Antonia LeVay chatted to the man behind the moustache about his 80th birthday tour and his love of jazz.
How and where do you start assembling a programme for a tour of this size, given the amount of work that you have amassed?
I do it, usually, in conjunction with a promoter. He’s the one that has to fill the hall! The first condition was that we have to do [2000’s] The Armed Man – which is a big work of mine in many ways, so that was a given – and then we wanted a couple of other popular pieces like Adiemus and Palladio. And then it was up to me. It’s two hours of music including an interval.
My album from last autumn, One World, was about how the planet dealt with things like slavery, geological issues, fascist governments and politicians, and how we got here. It deals with two different views, the biblical one and cosmological one. That went to number one in the UK classical charts and that’s another block of music that goes into the concert.
The One World concept is such an emotive subject matter: how do you go about interpreting that, and how long do you have to work on a piece like that?
I started One World in the first UK lockdown, so things didn’t go so well for a while. But the composer’s life is very similar to lockdown in a way, in that you’re alone with your tools – in my case, a cable that speaks to a computer and the score on the screen, rather than paper and pencil which I used to use. So, that’s where I start off.
When the situation with COVID improved, it was paced faster as I could communicate with other people easier. It was written for the World Choir For Peace, and the director there had a few very good ideas that I incorporated. It was then recorded during summer 2022 in Germany, and premiered in autumn 2023 in Austria; it was livestreamed, with a digital choir.
How did that work for you on the technical side, with the musicians around the globe all performing at once?
Technology is not my strong point! But I had a team of people who took care of that. The Stay At Home Choir is a British entity which started during COVID – people would send in vocal contributions, and then their voices are cut and put together. That’s what is so impressive, you can have an array of singers arranged on top of each other.
Regarding the musicians on your tour, do you get involved with who comes with you?
No. Usually the orchestra appoints who is available.
Do you still arrange songs in your own spare time for joy and for your own pleasure?
No, never. There’s always something that’s been asked for or to write about, you know? But anything I write, I can mould into what I want to do.
Given your love of jazz, would you consider recording more music in that style?
I’m actually doing a programme of my jazz ‘era’, if you like, at Swansea Jazz Festival this year, which is my next thing [after the 80th birthday tour]. So that will be great. I’m looking forward to it as a bit of fun – and good music.
Are there any jazz musicians that you’d like to work with?
They’re all dead now, unfortunately! I met my jazz heroes – one [John Marshall] from Soft Machine [long-running prog rock band which featured Jenkins during the 1970s and 80s] sadly passed over, just before Christmas.
Have you recorded with your son, Jody Jenkins, at all?
Yes, he’s on a lot of my albums – [offering] a technical point of view, actually, but also percussion. He was a percussionist – he won awards for prizes and all sort of things – but then changed to composition.
I noticed he does a lot of work on films as well. It must be nice to be able to work together on projects?
Yeah! As long as our roles don’t cross, if we have to write a piece of music together. But if I do this and he does that, then it works out okay. But he’s brilliant – he produces a lot and he’s good in the studio, too. He’s good at IT – I was a slow learner. A late learner.
What are your thoughts on AI and its impact?
Oh I don’t know! I’m scared of it all. All this talk of it taking over and that’s quite scary. Some say it could and some say it couldn’t.
Would you say where you grew up influenced how you compose and how you write?
I don’t think so. I think the sound of congregation and hymn singing was an influence: it’s kind of raw, and it’s usually done in four parts, so there’s the richness of the four-part harmony and the tune. I think that influenced me a bit. But it doesn’t matter where I am. Like being in lockdown, once I’m engaged in what I’m doing it makes no difference where I am.
Regarding your work for the coronation last year, is there anything you would like to add about that process and how it came about? What did you and Andrew Lloyd Webber chat about as you were sat together?
Not much. It was quite strange, actually, because we didn’t talk much. The first thing I said to him was that I played some piano on Jesus Christ Superstar, the recording; I said the same to Tim Rice when I met him at the British Embassy in Moscow. But after they played my piece he [ALW] turned to me and said, “that was beautiful”. Which was very kind of him. The effect of the occasion was quite massive, in a way.
How far in advance did you have to prepare for the coronation, and what did you have to prepare for it?
My bit was different. Someone got in touch with me from the palace. A poet, Grahame Davies, rang me up and said Charles wants to include a section with Over The Stone, which is based on an old Welsh folk song about someone leaving their homeland. That was chosen for the performance in the ceremony, and wasn’t written specifically, so I came quite late. It was played by the current royal harpist, Alis Huws.
It was very impressive, from my point of view. The impression it made on me the most was being part of a significant event in history – being there in the moment. In 1953, I saw the Queen’s coronation on a little black and white television, so wouldn’t have imagined how many years later I’d actually be taking part in a coronation. That was the oddest thing.
Karl Jenkins’ 80th Birthday Concert, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Sat 13 Apr.
Tickets: £22.50-£49.50. Info: here
Swansea Jazz Festival, Maritime Quarter, Swansea, Thurs 13-Mon 17 June (schedule TBC).
Info: swanseajazz.co.uk
words ANTONIA LEVAY
