Temple Beth Israel sanctuary venue for premier of Zaimont chorale
By Jewish Review
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The Portland Symphonic Choir will appear in the Temple sanctuary at Congregation Beth Israel to present a specially commissioned choral work, “Rememberance,” which combines Hebraic liturgy with the works of Shakespeare and other poets. Two concerts are scheduled: Saturday, Oct. 27 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 28 at 2:30 p.m.
The seed for the concert was planted by a 2005 donation by a Jewish singer in the PSC to commission a new choral work in memory of his grandparents. Given wide latitude to choose the composer, the text, the length, the accompanying instrumentation and the season of performance, PSC Artistic Director Dr. Steven Zopfi discussed the proposed work with several composers and selected Judith Lang Zaimont for the task.
Zaimont chose texts by Shakespeare, Sir John Suckling, Christina Rossetti and Hebraic liturgy, texts that engage aging and the loss of loved ones, adding her mother to the dedication.
This world premiere from such a respected composer is our “duty and privilege” to present, said Zopfi.
As the piece took shape, Zopfi proposed a concert that balances the commissioned memorial with other themes in choral works by Jewish composers.
Among these is Sid Robinovitch’s “Talmud Suite,” which ranges from sweetly simple to powerfully prayerful movements based on well-known sacred texts. Joel Hardyk’s “I Never Saw Another Butterfly,” for the women of the Choir, depicts the innocence lost in the Holocaust with the haunting sorrow and poignant humor of poetry of children from the Terezin death camp. Several shorter works follow, including the Hebrew hymns “Ki Mi Tziyon” and “Y-Sum Midbar” as well as an exotic Sephardic folksong, “Yo M’enamori D’in Aire.”
The concert is capped by Leonard Bernstein’s celebrated “Chichester Psalms,” which PSC reports is always a favorite with audiences—full of rhythmic energy, shouts of joy, and sighs of hope, the Psalms are a shining example of Bernstein’s best.
PSC sought a Jewish venue that could meet all of the acoustic and logistic needs of the concert. Two of the choral works require a pipe organ, which led PSC to Congregation Beth Israel, where the choir last performed in 1963.
Built in 1928 and listed on the National Register of Historic Landmarks, the Temple dome is considered one of the finest examples of Byzantine architecture west of the Mississippi. In May 2008 the congregation will begin a year-long celebration of the 150th anniversary since the founding of Beth Israel (1858) and the 80th anniversary of worshipping in the Temple sanctuary.
Founded in 1945, by C. Robert Zimmerman, the Portland Symphonic Choir is the official chorus of the Oregon Symphony. The Choir also presents its own series of concerts, reaching more than 15,000 music lovers each year.
Tickets are $20 for seniors/students and $25 for adults. For tickets, call 503-223-1217, email tickets@pschoir.org or visit the PCS Web site at www.pschoir.org.