On October 10, Key Chorale opens its 42nd season with one of the most powerful choral works of our time. Key Chorale’s 100 voices will join world-class mezzo-soprano Amanda Crider and orchestra for Karl Jenkins’ The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace at 4 PM at Holley Hall.

More than a concert, A Mass for Peace is a sweeping journey through conflict, grief, compassion, and ultimately hope. From the ominous pulse of a drumbeat to moments of breathtaking beauty and a final plea for peace, Jenkins’ masterpiece harnesses the extraordinary expressive power of the human voice.

“There are times when a piece of music seems to speak directly to the moment in which we are living, and The Armed Man is one of those works,” said Key Chorale Artistic Director & CEO Joseph Caulkins. “With 100 voices singing as one, an extraordinary orchestra, and the artistry of Amanda Crider, this is music that does more than ask us to listen—it asks us to reflect on who we are, what we value, and what kind of world we want to create.”

First performed in 2000, Jenkins’ The Armed Man has become one of the world’s most frequently performed contemporary choral works, with more than 3,000 performances. Jenkins interweaves the traditional Latin Mass with texts and musical traditions from around the globe, including an Islamic call to prayer, passages from the Bible, English poetry, the Mahabharata, and the words of a Hiroshima survivor.

The result is a deeply human work that moves from the darkness of war toward the possibility of peace—and a message that remains as urgent today as when it was written.

Joining Key Chorale is acclaimed mezzo-soprano Amanda Crider, a distinguished performer whose career spans opera, oratorio, concert repertoire, and contemporary music. Celebrated for her expressive artistry and compelling stage presence, Crider has appeared with leading opera companies, orchestras, and arts organizations throughout the United States and internationally.

In A Mass for Peace, her voice brings an intimate human presence to a work of monumental scale, giving voice to its grief, vulnerability, and hope.

“The opening concert of a season should tell you something about what an organization believes,” Caulkins said. “For us, it says that choral music can be bold, relevant, emotionally fearless, and capable of bringing an entire community together. When 100 people stand together and sing with one voice, there is a power in that sound that is unlike anything else.”

More than 100 voices. A world-class soloist. Orchestra. And a score that moves from the darkness of war toward hope and peace.

The journey begins October 10.

Date: October 10, 2026, 4 PM
Location: Holley Hall
Tickets are $50-70. For tickets, go to keychorale.org or call the box office at 941-552-8768. Students 18 and under are free and college students are $10.