Programme Notes from Galron Concert
Link to article about Galron’s Visit to London
Orcha Bamidbar - Desert Caravan Music: David Zahavi, Lyrics: Y Fichman
Arr: M Wiesenberg
‘To left, to right lies sandy dunes Of endless desert plains. A caravan moves in silent stream – An image from a wondrous dream. A rhythmic ringing rises, falls, The camels trudge in dismal scene. Tin-tan, tin-tan the wanderer’s song, Be still, endure- be still, march on.’
Hakotsrim – The Wheat Harvesters Music Daniel Factori, Lyrics A Magen
A joyous song celebrating the wheat harvest with a ‘hora’ rhythm
‘Here we come to cut the wheat with the scythes which we proudly raise and when the ears of wheat fall we dance and sing…’
Uri Tsafon – Song of Songs 4:18 Dov Carmel, arr. Yehezkiel Braun
‘Awake from the north and come from the south! Like the winds let My exiles return to My garden, let their fragrant goodness flow in Jerusalem. Let but my Beloved come to His garden and enjoy His precious people.’
Nachamu - Comfort ye - Parts 1 & 3 Chonon Lewis
Chonon Lewis was a member of the Zemel Choir in the 1960s
The words are taken from Isaiah
(1)‘Comfort, Comfort My people says your God. Speak consolingly of Jerusalem and proclaim to her that her period of exile has been completed, that her iniquity has been forgiven for she has received double for her sins from the hand of the Lord
(3)‘A voice says Proclaim!’ and the prophet asks ‘What shall I proclaim?’All flesh is like grass and its kindness like a blossom in the field ….Grass withers and blossom fades but the word of our God shall stand forever’
Love Walked In Music: G Gershwin, Lyrics: I Gershwin
arr: A Saunders
A free arrangement of a Gershwin classic by Anthony Saunders, a former Musical Director of the Zemel Choir. The original song was composed for the 1937 film ‘Goldwyns Follies’.
Choral Selection from ‘West Side Story’ Leonard Bernstein
The American composer, Leonard Bernstein (1918 – 1990) was one of the great individualists of twentieth century music: whether working as conductor, composer, teacher or performer.
The idea of a modern musical version of Romeo and Juliet set in the slums of New York first occurred to the choreographer Jerome Robbins early in 1949. Originally entitled East Side Story it was to depict the conflict between Christians and Jews at Easter/Passover.
Not until 1956 did Leonard Bernstein begin on the renamed West Side Story by Author Laurents and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. After the premiere in Washington DC on 19 August 1957 this powerful drama would become a cornerstone of American musical theatre.
Durme durme Trad. arr G Aldema
This song is a Sephardic song from Itzchak Levy’s collection ‘Spanish Roamances and Folk Songs