Nazareth gets tuneful
The first of its kind, the Nazareth Liturgical Festival will take place at the Maronite church, the Legacy Hotel and other venues from December 12-14.
As Nazareth gears up for Christmas, violinist Nabil Aboud Ashkar and the Polyphony NPO he heads present a stocking full of music, the centerpiece of which is Mozart’s Great Mass in C Minor (K.427) performed by the Collegium Vocale Hannover, conducted by Florian Lohmann with the Galilee orchestra under the baton of Ashkar and soloists from the Israel Opera (December 13, 8:30 p.m.).
The festival opens with an acapella concert from the Hannover Choir singing works by such as Britten, Brahms and Kaminski (December 12, 8:30 p.m.). Friday morning, there’ll be a Latin-American Christmas concert with the Latin-American Folklore Ensemble performing Ariel Ramirez’s beautiful Missa Creola among the rest. (December 13, 11 a.m.).
Other concerts include the Tel Aviv Collegium singers in a concert featuring organ, instrumental and vocal music and the closing concert which once again has the Hannover choir in Benjamin Britten’s popular A Ceremony of Carols that features carols from the 14th-16th centuries, as well as traditional carols such as “Silent Night” (December 14, 8 p.m.).
Polyphony, active for nine years, aims to break down barriers among religions, cultures and traditions via music. Ashkar’s work with Polyphony has achieved international recognition that includes an honorary PhD from Washington College and the Courage Award of the Arts, a private award given annually by Yoko Ono Lennon.