In the month of December, between the dates of December 15-18, in Nazareth, which wears a holiday and Christmas light decorations, the fourth liturgical festival will be held – an initiative and production of Polyphony for Education and headed by the festival’s artistic director, the violinist and musician Nabil Aboud Ashkar.
The festival that established itself as a high-quality music event that attracts many music lovers and tourists to Nazareth on Christmas Eve, has become part of the musical calendar of culture lovers in Israel. This year it returns – bigger and more festive than ever.
“Today, more than ever,” says Nabil Abud Ashkar, “we seek to voice a voice of harmony and brotherhood with hope for a new and good year. Music has a unique power to transcend cultural and social walls and educate musicians and audiences alike in the art of listening and communication. Besides the unique musical experience, the festival Striving to strengthen the sharing within the Israeli society on all its components while hoping for a better year full of harmony, aesthetics, and brotherhood.”
The musical experience at the festival will be completed by the special tourist experience and the atmosphere of the period of preparations for Christmas in Nazareth. During the festival there will be three colorful Christmas markets (“Christmas Markets”) in the spirit of the holiday, special tours in collaboration with the festival and special packages will be offered in collaboration with Legacy and Golden Crown hotels in Nazareth.
• “Peace be upon the world”
At the festive opening concert of the festival under the title “Peace to the World” (Friede auf Erden). The choir Collegium Vocale Hannover will be hosted, an international choir of exceptional quality. The choir conducted by Florian Lohmann (Germany) will perform a cappella with a full ensemble of 36 male and female singers.
In the first part of the concert, the piece “Farewell Hymns” by the British composer Charles Hubert Parry will be performed, a wonderful cycle of songs in English that is hardly known in our regions. In the second part, the choir will provide a variety of performances of late German romanticism: Brahms, Reger and the magnificent motet Friede auf Erden by Arnold Schoenberg. (15.12 20:00 Salesian Church).
• “Oh, wonderful peace”
The next day at noon, the audience will be able to enjoy a chamber concert under the title “O, lovely peace” with sopranos Anastasia Kalvan and Tamara Navot, soloists of the Israeli Opera, accompanied by harpsichordist Iris Gloverzon and the soloists of the Jerusalem Baroque Orchestra: violinists Yasuko Hirata and Leah Rachlin and the ‘Lanit Sonia Navot.
Early liturgical works from the Baroque period, from Bach to Pergolesi, from Handel to Vivaldi, will be performed in the concert. (16.12 time 12:00 Anglican Church).
One of the highlights of the festival: “Give us peace” (Dona Nobis Pacem) a special concert by Ahinoam Nini and Gil Dor with a chamber quartet consisting of polyphonic soloists. The concert will be performed in Israel after a performance that won enormous praise at a festival in the city of Arona in Italy.
Alongside material from Ahinoam’s rich repertoire, the concert will mostly be based on an extraordinary interpretation of Bach’s works in special arrangements by Gil Dor with texts by Ahinoam Nini (a direct continuation of the concept album Letters to Bach that she released).
Special guests will be the singers of the Collegium Vocale Choir from Hanover.
• The final dance
And to other liturgical worlds: Aldarvish, an ensemble composed of Sufi clerics and artists living in the Galilee, will take the audience on a journey to the world of the Sufis. The show provides an opportunity to disconnect from the existence of the physical world and connect to the spiritual Sufi dance and the engrossing music of the ensemble. (17.12 time 12:00 Elhanin Theater).
• Elijah
Another highlight of the festival, will be the festive closing concert in a large-screen production of the oratorio Eliyahu, Felix Mendelssohn’s masterpiece with the participation of 80 musicians on stage.
The concert will be performed by the Galilee Orchestra (Polyphony) conducted by Salim Abode Ashkar and with the participation of the Hanover Vocal Collegium Choir and eight soloists, from Germany and Israel (Eleanor Zon – soprano, Rona Sharira – mezzo-soprano, Eitan Drori – tenor, Noah Briger – baritone). (17.12 hour 20 :00 Maronite Church).
• “Biblical songs”
On Friday, as a dessert to the festival, the international pianist Salim Abode Ashkar will return to the home hall at the Conservatory in Nazareth and will host the pianist Dana Harisch (Israel/Germany) for a four-hand performance of the Fantasia in F minor by Schubert.
Harish, a graduate of the Polyphonic Conservatory in Nazareth and the Birnbaum-Said Academy in Berlin, who lives and performs in Germany, will perform the masterpiece “Biblical Songs” by Antonin Dvožak together with the baritone singer Yair Polischuk. (18.12 time 12:00 Nazareth Conservatory).
The Polyphonic Conservatory in Nazareth for Education (HLC) is an extraordinary musical-social enterprise whose name goes before it in the world. Within its framework, two orchestras with Arab and Jewish musicians operate: the Youth Orchestra and the Galilee Orchestra – the first professional orchestra in Israel of Arab musicians (which also includes some of the country’s top Jewish musicians) – Under the direction of the international pianist and conductor Salim Aboud Ashkar.In addition, Polyphony operates Alkhan, within which thousands of children in Arab and Jewish communities receive a classical music education.
The American cellist Lynn Harrell, one of the greatest cellists of our generation, was an active member of the association’s board of trustees and one of its enthusiastic supporters. Yoko Ono, John Lennon’s widow, in 2012 awarded Nabil Aboud Ashkar the Courage Awards of the Arts for his significant contribution to the society in which he operates. In December 2022, he will be awarded the Shulamit Aloni Award for artists and creators who work for art and creation that promote human rights, social justice and shared life.
In March 2022, the Galilee Orchestra was invited to perform at the prestigious Carnegie Hall in New York and hosted the violinist Joshua Bell for a premiere performance by the award-winning composer Karim El-Zand from Tunisia alongside works by Bloch, Haydn and Beethoven.
ticket prices
Evening concerts – NIS 150,
Afternoon concerts – NIS 130,
Recital (concert no. 6) – NIS 100