[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text css_animation=”bottom-t-top” animation_delay=”200″]The Upper Galilee Choir was established in 1978 by Stanley Sperber and under his direction, a year later, performed Mendelssohn’s Oratorio “Elijah” at the Musica Sacra Festival in Jerusalem.
Stanley Sperber served as the choir’s musical director for two and a half years. During the following years the choir sang under the direction of Aaron Harlap, Veronica Bloomers-Bell and Amir Bernhardt. Ron Zarchi has served as the choir’s conductor since 1985.
The choir has performed with the Israeli Broadcasting Authority Symphony, the Haifa Symphony, The Carmel Baroque Orchestra, the Yad Harif Orchestra, the Raanana Symphonette Orchestra, and various other instrumental ensembles from Israel and abroad. The choir has gone on tour abroad several times and has participated in various festivals.
The choir often performs in the Church of the Loaves and Fishes in Tabgha and the Dormition Church in Jerusalem and regularly takes part in prominent liturgical music festivals in Nazareth, Abu-Gosh and the Yechiam Fortress, as well as the Chamber Music Festival in Kfar Blum.
In addition to our repertoire of liturgical, baroque and classical music, our choir is amongst the only ones in Israel specializing in 19th and 20th century music of European Jewish composers which provided music to the synagogues up until WWII. This year we are performing a new program with the music of Jewish Czech composer Herman (Zvi) Berman written in 1915 which represent the music performed in Czech Synagogues during those years.
The choir’s program includes modern and classical works, music by Israeli composers, and folk songs, but focuses on the performance of Baroque and Renaissance music, with a special emphasis on liturgical repertoire. In addition to performing a cappella programs, the choir has staged independent productions including works of Sulzer, Lewandowski, Monteverdi, Händel and Haydn.
The members of the choir, numbering between 45-50, hail from all over the Upper Galilee and the Golan Heights. Several of the members have taken part in music courses at the Levinsky Teachers College or similar educational institutions; many participate regularly in music enrichment seminars, and the majority study voice.
The Upper Galilee Choir performs under the auspices of the Cultural Committee of the Upper Galilee Regional Council.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_custom_heading text_transform=”uppercase” css_animation=”bottom-t-top” animation_delay=”100″]More choirs of the Louis Lewandowski Festival[/vc_custom_heading][/vc_column][/vc_row]
