What do you think?
Rate this book
Still with the Music: My Autobiography
Music is a language that speaks to us all. But the music of Sir Karl Jenkins transcends boundaries of style and genre, of geography, language and nationality to communicate a message of peace that has profoundly moved millions around the world.
Incorporating diverse influences from religious and historical texts, multicultural musical styles and, famously, a vocalised language of sounds that speaks directly to the heart, Karl has written powerful works such as Adiemus ; and the iconic The Armed Man : A Mass for Peace ; that encompass the depth and breadth of human emotion.
From a modest upbringing in Penclawdd, Wales, steeped in the Welsh choral tradition and the Western classical canon, Karl followed his love of music to London, immersing himself in the 1960s jazz world of Ronnie Scott's, before joining the seminal prog-rock group Soft Machine. These diverse influences made him one of the most successful composers in the dynamic advertising industry of the 1980s, ultimately leading to his landmark Adiemus project in the 1990s, which inspired him to create the works that have now moved so many.
As Karl says, "we all work with the same twelve notes'. Still with the Music is the story of how those twelve notes became something magical, a celebration of the power of music to bring joy, to inspire and to heal. Sir Karl Jenkins is that rare a contemporary classical composer with enormous popular appeal, and one of Britain's national treasures.
Incorporating diverse influences from religious and historical texts, multicultural musical styles and, famously, a vocalised language of sounds that speaks directly to the heart, Karl has written powerful works such as Adiemus ; and the iconic The Armed Man : A Mass for Peace ; that encompass the depth and breadth of human emotion.
From a modest upbringing in Penclawdd, Wales, steeped in the Welsh choral tradition and the Western classical canon, Karl followed his love of music to London, immersing himself in the 1960s jazz world of Ronnie Scott's, before joining the seminal prog-rock group Soft Machine. These diverse influences made him one of the most successful composers in the dynamic advertising industry of the 1980s, ultimately leading to his landmark Adiemus project in the 1990s, which inspired him to create the works that have now moved so many.
As Karl says, "we all work with the same twelve notes'. Still with the Music is the story of how those twelve notes became something magical, a celebration of the power of music to bring joy, to inspire and to heal. Sir Karl Jenkins is that rare a contemporary classical composer with enormous popular appeal, and one of Britain's national treasures.
273 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 10, 2015
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
October 7, 2015
Sir Karl Jenkins has had an interesting life and his autobiography takes us on a clear journey from his humble roots in the small welsh village of Penclawdd on the Gower Penisula, right through to the present day, in this his seventieth year, when he is still very much with the music and shows no signs of slowing down.
The autobiography is easy to read with nicely structured chapters and spans from his childhood and his early career in music, through to his later, and perhaps more successful years, with the rise in popularity of his musical compositions. I particularly enjoyed reading about how in 1995 Adiemus first saw the light of day as the music for the Delta Airlines advertising campaign. Of course, since then it has gone on to become a very successful piece of music and for the last twenty years has regularly featured on Classic FM. However, for pure heart stopping sensation, I only need hear the opening majestic march of The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace, which was composed to commemorate the millennium, and everything in my world ceases, as I listen in wonder and awe at the power of such inspirational music.
I know it’s a bit of a cliché but I enjoy reading autobiographies which take me on a journey, and it's a real delight to travel along the route that Sir Karl has travelled as he made his way through the musical events which describe his life story. His love of music is obvious and this comes across in the warmth of his words and in the fine attention to the smallest detail, but it is in the love for his family and friends, and his enthusiastic affinity for his homeland, where he comes across so passionately.
I really enjoyed reading this autobiography and now, whenever I listen to Karl Jenkin's inspirational music, I will, undoubtedly be reminded of the man behind the music.
The autobiography is easy to read with nicely structured chapters and spans from his childhood and his early career in music, through to his later, and perhaps more successful years, with the rise in popularity of his musical compositions. I particularly enjoyed reading about how in 1995 Adiemus first saw the light of day as the music for the Delta Airlines advertising campaign. Of course, since then it has gone on to become a very successful piece of music and for the last twenty years has regularly featured on Classic FM. However, for pure heart stopping sensation, I only need hear the opening majestic march of The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace, which was composed to commemorate the millennium, and everything in my world ceases, as I listen in wonder and awe at the power of such inspirational music.
I know it’s a bit of a cliché but I enjoy reading autobiographies which take me on a journey, and it's a real delight to travel along the route that Sir Karl has travelled as he made his way through the musical events which describe his life story. His love of music is obvious and this comes across in the warmth of his words and in the fine attention to the smallest detail, but it is in the love for his family and friends, and his enthusiastic affinity for his homeland, where he comes across so passionately.
I really enjoyed reading this autobiography and now, whenever I listen to Karl Jenkin's inspirational music, I will, undoubtedly be reminded of the man behind the music.
Displaying 1 of 1 review