The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace was commissioned by the Royal Armouries to mark the transition from one millennium to the next. The music reflects on the passing of "the most war-torn and destructive century in human history" and looks forward with hope to a more peaceful future. The Armed Man is dedicated to the victims of the Kosovo conflict, the tragedy of which was unfolding while the piece was being composed. It was first performed in 2000 by the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the National Youth Choir of Great Britain, conducted by Jenkins himself.
The work's framework is the traditional Catholic Mass, but the texts originate from various parts of the world and from different religions and cultures. The music, too, is cosmopolitan in its inspiration.
