Revital Raviv is one of Israel’s star soprani, with a repertoire of Renaissance and baroque music as well as modern. She performs regularly with several leading ensembles in Israel, including the Barrocade Ensemble and the Israel Chamber Orchestra. Raviv will be joined by two colleagues, both outstanding musicians in their own right: Eyal Leber on guitar, and Shaul Gros, who will play the guitar, harmonica and mandolin.
The Homage to Joan Baez recital was commissioned by the Abu Gosh Festival, directed by Hanna Zur, following the success of the “Purcell to Lennon” program, which we’ve written about here. The program will feature a selection of British and American folk songs and gospel, as well as songs by Bob Dylan and Dire Straits.
“Creating this program gave me a wonderful connection to the music of my parents’ generation, especially my mother, who made Aliyah, guitar in hand, at age 16,” says Raviv. “I still have her collection of music books, with songs by Leonard Cohen, Peter Paul and Mary, Carol King and more. My mother would put on a Peter Paul and Mary record for us at bedtime. This concert helped me realized how deep a connection I have with American culture, especially the idyllic 60s.
“In retrospect, Joan Baez was a unique phenomenon in the musical scene, with her clear soprano voice and her ability to stand onstage with only a guitar and keep the audience entranced with serene, melancholy songs. Today our ears are a little “spoiled” and we tend to look for a more upbeat tempo, more diversity. In creating this program, we tried to ‘update’ the performance and still keep the spirit in which the songs were composed, which put the singer in the role of the storyteller – a folk tradition that can be traced back to the troubadours and the meistersingers of the medieval age.”
It is fitting, therefore, that the setting for this event is the beautiful historic village of Abu Gosh, nestled in the hills along the road to Jerusalem – a setting that the folk artists and singers of the 60s might have appreciated. The concert will take place Friday, June 6 at 14:00, at the Crypt of the Crusaders’ Church in Abu Gosh. Tickets cost 95 NIS. For more details, visit www.agfestival.co.il.
