To celebrate 70 years of choral singing in Waterloo Region, the Menno Singers and their Artistic Director Brandon Leis will conclude their season with a performance of the Mennonite Mass Choir—a long‑standing tradition that expands the ensemble with local singers who do not regularly have the opportunity to participate in choirs, joined by featured soloists and many members of the KW Symphony Orchestra.
At a time when the world is marked by uncertainty and division, this concert brings together 150 voices and large orchestra to present two powerful reflections on humanity’s struggles and enduring hope: Johannes Brahms’ Schicksalslied (Song of Destiny) and Karl Jenkins’ The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace.
Brahms’ Schicksalslied opens the program with a profound meditation on the contrast between divine serenity and human suffering. While the text evokes the turmoil and fragility that shape our earthly existence, Brahms concludes with a luminous orchestral postlude—an offering of consolation, reminding us that even in turbulent times, the human spirit reaches toward hope, healing and renewal. Coined his ‘little Requiem’ this piece carries all of the musical charm you would expect from this romantic master.
Jenkins’ epic work The Armed Man continues this journey, weaving together texts from many faiths, cultures, and historical moments—from the Islamic call to prayer to the Catholic Mass, from the Mahabharata to modern poetry. This global tapestry of voices reflects a world that is wonderfully diverse yet deeply interconnected. Commissioned to mark the turn of the Millenium in 1999, the work was written as a reflection of the passing of ‘the most war-torn and destructive century in human history’ as it confronts the horrors of war with unflinching honesty, then lifts us toward a vision of peace in its radiant final movements. Better Is Peace becomes not just a closing chorus, but a call to collective responsibility.
Together, these two masterworks speak directly to the challenges of our political moment. When fear, polarization, and violence threaten to overshadow dialogue and compassion, music such as this reminds us why hope matters—because it insists that a more just, inclusive, and peaceful world is not only imaginable, but attainable.
This concert invites listeners to reflect, to feel, and to imagine a future in which every voice is honored and peace is chosen over conflict. In the shared space created by choir, orchestra, and audience, we find a reminder of our common humanity—and the enduring possibility of harmony.
One performance only will be held at the Centre in the Square on Thursday, May 21st at 7:30pm. Tickets available through the Centre in the Square box office.
