The 6th Liturgical Festival, produced by the Polyphony Foundation, will take place in Jerusalem this year at the Jerusalem International YMCA. Nabeel Abboud Ashkar, Executive Director of the Polyphony Foundation and the Liturgical Festival Director invites all to come to festival, where the Christmas spirit will flourish with liturgical concerts, original productions, and a Christmas market from December 20 – 24, 2024. Creating connections and seeking to transcend the barriers between the different communities, religions, and cultures in Israel through music, the Polyphony Foundation fosters harmony and understanding.
As a result of the extended war in the North, the Polyphony Foundation decided that as they could not plan for the Liturgical Festival to take place in its home of Nazareth, this year, as an exception, the festival will take place in Jerusalem. Nabeel Abboud Ashkar, Executive Director of the Polyphony Foundation and the Liturgical Festival Director stated: “In these trying times, we find powerful meaning in continuing to make music together, Arabs and Jews, and create excellent music that will give us tools to connect people and communities.”
Fadi Suidan, CEO of the Jerusalem International YMCA, stated, “We are excited to host the Liturgical Festival and see deep meaning in connecting to the Polyphony Foundation and its projects, especially in this complex time. This year, as we do every year, we are planning a variety of festival activities for Christmas, and believe that this unique collaboration will lead us to a joint path of cultural creation that will strengthen and enrich the community.”
In all the festival performances this year there will be a special emphasis on the connection between Arab and Jewish musicians. The Galilee Chamber Orchestra, under the baton of Saleem Abboud Ashkar, the only professional classical orchestra composed of Arab and Jewish musicians, will be once more at the center of the festival’s performances, with two evening programs of liturgical music. Out of the Depths, a concert with a Baroque feel, will take place on Friday, December 20th. The Galilee Chamber Orchestra will host the Israeli Vocal Ensemble, as well as Arab and Jewish soloists of the Israeli Opera – Soprano Nour Darwish, Alto Dorin Sassine, Tenor Adi Ezra, and Baritone Oded Reich. On Saturday, December 21st, the festive closing concert will feature the full 43-member Galilee Chamber Orchestra performing the Reformation Symphony by Mendelssohn. During the evening’s second part the orchestra will accompany soloists Alla Vasilevitsky (Soprano), Rania Ateek (Soprano), and Rachel Frenkel (Mezzo-soprano) as they perform popular arias and duets.
Looking to the future, the Music & Society Seminar – a joint enterprise by the Polyphony Conservatory in Nazareth, the Israeli Conservatory Tel Aviv and the Tel Aviv University – brings talented Arab and Jewish youth. The Music & Society Seminar Orchestra and chamber ensembles of the MS&S will host the young Polyphony Quartet for a concert on Saturday, December 21st – The Next Generation.
The duo of Maya Belsitzman & Matan Ephrat, partners in life and work, will join with the Polyphony Quartet for a special concert, an original festival production. Taking place on Saturday afternoon, December 21st, the program will feature liturgical music as well as modern Hebrew classics. Of note will be special adaptations of ancient Piyyutim such as Yadid Nefesh and Tsam’a Nafshi, alongside contemporary “Piyyutim” such as Meir Ariel’s Mode Ani.
The Liturgical Festival will present a special collaboration with the Jerusalem International YMCA, as the Galilee Chamber Orchestra joins the YMCA’s Traditional Christmas Concert on December 24th. The annual event is a fundraising concert, with all proceeds to benefit orphans and support the annual orphan’s concert. Soprano Nour Darwish will be accompanied by the Galilee Chamber Orchestra, and the concert will feature liturgical works from the classical canon, Arab classics and special arrangements of Christmas carols.
The historic venue of the Jerusalem International YMCA will host a Christmas Market during the festival, with the warmth of hot wine and other delicious treats, melodious bell chimes, an art exhibition in the auditorium celebrating the holiday spirit, and Santa Claus handing out chocolates to children!
The full program of the Liturgical Festival is available online in English: https://liturgicalnazareth.co.il/en/
