Five TI members - Manny Helzner, Jane Rosenthal, Leesa Shemtov, Jimmy Perlmutter, and I, Janaki Kuruppu - were part of an amazing musical and poetry event last night at Temple Emanuel, where the chorus that we belong to, Zemer Chai, sang a moving concert in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the State of Israel. The concert’s title was “Voices Clear as Water”. Many of our fellow congregants were in the audience, and I think the universal sentiment was that the concert was excellent, and deeply emotionally moving.
Each piece was bracketed by poems by Israeli writers, or excerpts of historical spoken word, such as an excerpt of Yitzak Rabin’s acceptance speech for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994. Before we began, Eleanor Epstein, our director, introduced the program and asked the audience to hold applause until the end of the concert, and allow the words and the music to flow uninterrupted as a complete artistic experience. That really added to keeping the integrity of the concert as a coordinated work of art. But, we did invite audience participation, and several songs lent themselves to the audience joining in and singing the chorus - most movingly, I think, on “Lu Yehi”, Naomi Shemer’s Hebrew interpretation of the Beatle’s song “Let It Be“. The house was packed, and it was quite intense to hear all those voices together, especially since we sang that song a cappella (without accompaniment).
And, suitably, the concert ended with everyone on their feet singing “HaTikva”.
Eleanor shared with us some emails she received from audience members today:
What an absolutely wonderful concert this evening!
Great song selection, beautiful inspiring poetry, stunning arrangements (loved the Shabbat Hamalkah!) and the voices of songbirds surrounded by the tree of life all made for an awesome performance - WOW!!
May your voices stay clear as water, and may we continue drinking from the sparkling glass of Zemer Chai for many years to come!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you for your precious gifts of music and Ahavat Yisrael.
And Herman Taube wrote:
“VOICES CLEAR as WATER” Celebration of Israel’s 60th Anniversary at Temple Emanuel last Thursday was a new light in our ancient community.
The Temple was full with people of all ages, we all where in a joyful mood…
Some of the songs, despite translations, were outside our comprehension, still, it was an enormous spiritual pleasure, to listen to the voices of the lovely chorus, the Hebrew and Yiddish songs, poems, the brief emotional talk by Eleanor Epstein, the Zemer Chai director, was inspiring.
Pianist, Karin Firsow and Guitarist and bass-player, Matt Holsen, added vivacity to the concert. Most moving were the songs by the chorus, subtly joined by the public. Naomi Shemer came back alive with all of us singing: “Od Lo Ahavti Dai”.
Eleanor, conductor and director of the chorus changed entirely the traditional format of previous concerts, adding, ( for the first time ? ) moving poetry readings which captivated the audience.
The whole program was extraordinary; The beautiful silence between the songs, (on the suggestion of the director, hold-off the applause until the end of the concert), was sensual and inspiring, like the title of the concert: “Voices clear as Water”…
The whole concert was a delight and inspiration. It was good to see in the Program book that the Washington Jewish Week, a friend of Zemer Chai, offered a special FREE 3-month subscription to the attendees of the Concert. We need more local organizations and individuals to join “Friends of Zemer Chai” - rose in the cultural garden of our Jewish community.
I would like to invite anyone who attended to add their comments. My heart is full, and I can’t wait to sing again with Zemer Chai this Sunday, at the Israel at 60 celebration on the Mall, where we’ll share the stage with our friends, the Robyn Helzner Trio. Don’t forget to order your T-shirt and join us there!!