In this his celebratory year Sir Karl Jenkins has already conducted concerts at Carnegie Hall in New York, the Royal Albert Hall in London and the Millennium Centre in Cardiff. His final concert will be on December 7th at Wells Cathedral where he will conduct the Cathedral’s Oratorio Society and Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra in a performance commencing with Palladio and Symphonic Adiemus followed by excerpts from One World, his latest work which heralds a vision of a peaceful and egalitarian planet that treats nature with respect and human rights are universal, where truth is truth and news is never fake, where leaders do not lie and all faiths live in peace. The second part is a performance of The Armed Man – a Mass for Peace, a compelling account of the descent into and terrible consequences of war, ending with beautiful notes of hope for the future. Sadly there could not be a more relevant theme for today’s world.

After being taught to play the piano by his father, Sir Karl studied music and began his career playing jazz in Ronnie Scott’s. In 2015, he was voted the most popular living composer in Classic FM’s Ultimate Hall of Fame and his music features every year in the station’s top 10 most popular pieces. Sir Karl’s music has been recognised with 17 Gold and Platinum discs and was performed at the Coronation of King Charles III.