This is a post by a supporter of Children of Peace
Our foremost contact is our love for music. Through music we learn to know one another, to open our hearts and be true friends who listen and between us we share two languages and three faiths. (Roni Rotem, former Shani Choir member.)
Summer arrived just in time for the Shani Choir’s (partly outdoor) concert at Kentchurch Court last night, in support of Children of Peace. No rain fell – and there were no other unwelcome interruptions either. The idyllic setting was matched by the beautiful singing of this classically trained girls’ choir. They sang traditional pieces by composers such as Handel, Mendelssohn and Elgar in the first half. After the interval they moved to more modern works such as ‘Somewhere’ from Westside Story and (the song with which they conclude all their concerts) John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’ which they sing in Hebrew, Arabic and English. For, as Maestro Zubin Metha, notes in his introduction to the concert programme, the choir ‘represent[s] a new generation of hope, friendship and reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians. Particularly beautiful was ‘Tfila Ieshalom’ (a prayer for peace) which was composed by Doron Levinson. Doron, who was present at the concert, wrote the music back in 1973 when he was recovering from injuries sustained in the Yom Kippur War.
The girls’ visit to the UK – which has included a performance at the prestigious Three Choirs Festival – would not have been possible without the help of so many in the area who have demonstrated their support through sponsorship, organisation, time and hospitality. Although their journey could hardly have got off to a more stressful start – they flew just hours after hearing news of the terrorist attack in Bulgaria – they all seemed to have been having a lovely time in England – and gave us a most memorable and magical evening. The choir will be interviewed on BBC Breakfast tomorrow morning.
