Duration c. 18'30"

The Latin text of the Gloria is an ancient hymn of praise from the Christian tradition derived from the song of the angels who announce the birth of Jesus, as recorded in the Gospel according to St Luke. The Gloria has formed part of the Ordinary of the Mass for many centuries, and in that context has been set by many composers; there are also independent settings by Handel, Vivaldi and Poulenc. But the opportunity to work with such an iconic text also afforded me an opportunity to explore how other religions perceive the Divine. This is an ongoing feature of my work, from the multi-faceted The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace, the Japanese haiku in my Requiem to the ancient Arabic text in my Stabat Mater.

Karl Jenkins, June 2010