Karl Jenkins

Welsh multi-instrumentalist and contemporary composer (b. 17 February 1944, Penclawdd [Swansea], Wales). Sir [b]Karl Jenkins[/b] is Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE), Knight Bachelor, Fellow of the [l=Royal Academy of Music] (FRAM), and Honorary Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales (HonFSLW). He performs on baritone/soprano saxophones, oboe, and keyboards. In May 2023, Jenkins commissioned [i]Tros y Garreg[/i] ("Crossing the Stone" in English), one of twelve new works for the coronation of [url=https://discogs.com/artist/2253564]Charles III[/url], attending its debut performance at [l=Westminster Abbey]'s ceremony. His photos from the event briefly circulated in the media, starting with memes joking that Karl was, instead, Meghan Markle ([a=HRH Prince Harry]'s wife and estranged Duchess of Sussex) in buffoonish disguise, and subsequently numerous debunkings in high-profile press.

Jenkins grew up in Penclawdd village in Gower (now part of Swansea), born to a Swedish mother and Welsh father, a chapel organist and choirmaster, who gave Karl his first music lessons. In high school, twelve-year-old Jenkins began playing oboe in the [a=National Youth Orchestra Of Wales]. He got formally educated at [l=Cardiff University], followed by postgraduate studies at the [l=Royal Academy of Music] in London.

Early in his career, Karl Jenkins was primarily known as a jazz and fusion/jazz-rock saxophonist, oboist, and keyboard player. He participated in several [a=Graham Collier]'s ensembles and was active in an early free jazz/improv UK scene. In 1969, Jenkins co-founded [b][url=https://discogs.com/artist/184256]Nucleus[/url][/b] band, which won the [l=Montreux Jazz Festival]'s first prize and headlined the [l=Newport Jazz Festival] the following year. As a session player and band member, Karl Jenkins appeared on such notable albums as [a=Elton John]'s [i][m=84216][/i] (1970) or [i][m=197775][/i] (1972) by [a=Barry Guy] with [a=London Jazz Composers Orchestra]. (Jenkins played alongside [a=Marc Charig] on a bugle and [a=Alan Wakeman] on tenor/soprano saxophones, cousin of [a=Rick Wakeman] of [a=Yes] fame).

In 1972, Karl Jenkins joined [b][a=Soft Machine][/b], a prog/jazz-rock/fusion band from Canterbury formed by [a=Mike Ratledge]. He remained with the group until 1978 (and joined for brief reunions in 1980–81 and '84), active as a lead composer on many Soft Machine LPs. Jenkins toured extensively with the band, performing at [l=Carnegie Hall], the [l=Royal Albert Hall]'s "Proms" and [l=The Reading Festival]. In November 1973, Jenkins and Ratledge participated in a live-in-the-studio performance of [a=Mike Oldfield]'s [i][m=15016][/i] for the [l=BBC] (available on [i][m=315636][/i] VHS/DVD compilation).

In the late 1980s and early '90s, Karl Jenkins mainly focused on commercial music. Collaborating with [url=https://discogs.com/label/1372991]Bartle Bogle Hegarty[/url] agency, Jenkins created soundtracks for [l=Levi's], [l=Renault], and De Beers, among other prominent clients. (Karl subsequently developed De Beers' theme into a full-length orchestral work, [i][m=585426][/i]). In 1994, Jenkins started [b][a=Adiemus][/b] — a series of orchestral new-age albums with vocals. (The opening song on the debut album, [i][m=10543][/i], released in 1995 on CD/Cassette by [l=Virgin], was based on Karl's TV commercial tune for [l=Delta Air Lines].) Notably, all singing was in a fictional lyrical language, vaguely reminiscent of Latin, and constructed by Jenkins purely phonetically. (Similar to the [i]Kobaïan[/i] language invented by French drummer and musician [a=Christian Vander] for [url=https://discogs.com/artist/179749]Magma[/url] band).

In 1999, Jenkins wrote [i][m=620433][/i], a neo-classical Mass for orchestra and mixed choir, commissioned by the Royal Armouries and debuted at [l=Royal Albert Hall]. Since then, it become one of Karl's best-known works, with over 400 performances and several critically-acclaimed recordings.