Despite taking place parallel to the 2014 Israel Festival, the 45th Abu Gosh Vocal Music Festival (June 3rd to 7th, 2014) drew people from near and far, filling the two local churches to hear 17 different programs.
“Mendelssohn and Mozart with Keren Hadar” took place June 7th at the Shrine of Our Lady of the Ark of the Covenant, a Catholic church, overlooking natural forests of Jerusalem Pine, built in Kyriat Yearim in 1911 on the site of 5th century Byzantine church. Joining Israeli-born soprano Keren Hadar were the Ma’ayan and Bat Kol Choirs, both directed by Anat Morahg, organists Janina Tsitrin and Odelia Eliazarov and the Sapir String Quartet (violinists Jana Gandelsman, Yonah Zur, violist Amos Boazson, ‘cellist Oleg Stolpner).
The program opened with the Bat-Kol Girls’ Choir in a scintillating, fresh-sounding performance of Alessandro Constantini’s (c.1581-1657) motet “Confitemini Domino” (Give thanks to the Lord). Morahg and her young singers gave expression to the piece’s pastoral nature and interesting textures in an impressive, uplifting and well contrasted performance of F.Mendelssohn’s (1809-1847)“Surrexit pastor bonus” (The shepherd blest has risen) opus 39 no.3 for female voices and organ, the girls’ bright, silvery voices a reminder to the listener that the work was inspired by the delicate sounds of a nuns’ choir Mendelssohn heard when traveling in Italy in 1830. Morahg’s work with this choir is outstanding: the girls sing by heart, their performance disciplined, polished and shaped, their voices blended. The Bat-Kol Girls’ Choir of the Israel Conservatory of Music, Tel Aviv, was founded by Anat Morahg, its current director and conductor. Consisting of some 100 children singing in three ensembles, choir and conductor have been recipients of several international prizes. Performing classical music, Israeli music and works especially written for it, the choir frequently performs with the Israeli Opera, with orchestras and under renowned international conductors.
Accompanied by the Sapir String Quartet and organ, we heard the Ma’ayan Choir’s superbly blended singing of “Laudate Dominum” (Praise the Lord, all nations”), Psalm 117, the 5th movement of W.A.Mozart’s (1756-1791)“Vesperes solennes de confessore” K.339 (1780). Soprano Keren Hadar’s singing of solo sections was richly colored and tinged with just the right amount of sweetness, the performance nevertheless communicating the work’s power. The same forces performed F.Mendelssohn’s most popular psalm-cantata “Wie der Hirsch schreit” (As the Hart Panteth) opus 42, Psalm 42. A high point of the concert, the work’s freshness, inspiration and energy came to the fore with attentive singing on the part of the choir and with Hadar’s silvery, stable and communicative solo performance. Established in 1974 and comprising some 45 singers, the Ma’ayan Choir, under the direction of Anat Morahg, is the official choir of the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality. A selective ensemble, it performs a wide variety of repertoire, performing concerts, singing at official ceremonies and festivals and working with many Israeli orchestras and ensembles. An interesting artist, with a large scope of styles and genres in her repertoire and fine stage presence, Keren Hadar has become one of Israel’s most interesting and flexible singers today, performing both in Israel and abroad.
With singers of the Bat-Kol placed in the aisles, both choirs joined to present a joyful performance of the antiphonal Christmas motet “Duo Seraphim” (Two Seraphim) by Jacobus Gallus (1550-1591), aptly depicting the call and response of the heavenly beings seen by the prophet Isaiah in a mystical vision.
Moving away from sacred music, instrumentalists, choral singers and soloist joined, providing suitable festival fare with selections from W.A.Mozart’s “Magic Flute”. Here was Hadar in a more operatic vein, addressing the arias with drama, joy, sympathy, freedom and splendid vocal control.
This was indeed an outstanding event of the 45th Abu Gosh Vocal Music Festival, providing high quality performance, colorful programming and much enjoyment to the large audience gathered at the Kyriat Yearim Church.
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