Stabat Mater

Today in Hebrew class, we were discussing potential field-trip options. When you are considered "fluent" and have only so much patience for poetry and news headlines, you look for other things to do. Yad Vashem, the Holocaust museum, was ruled out as too many have been there and already taken the Hebrew tour. I raised my hand and asked the teacher if there were concerts or other musical events that we could go to. I remember while at Hebrew U going to Lev Smadar for a movie about the life of Aviv Gefen and staying for a Q and A session after. I also remember a birthday gift where I was taken to a bar in the center of town where Dani Rovas was playing the guitar and singing Beatles songs while we sang along with lyric books. I wanted something like this-a little different and strangely cultural.

Our Hebrew teacher, Orna, had mentioned in the first class that she sings in a classical music choir. She had also asked me separately about places that her choir could perform in the US when they travel there in a few months. She suggested that she will keep her ears open to possibilities and then mentioned that she was going to a concert this evening at the Jerusalem Theater. I asked a little about it and found out that if we got to the box office and said that we were affiliated with such and such singing group at 7:45ish (concert started at 8), we would get tickets for 20 shekels rather than 190. I was persuaded!

Then the easy part- convincing a friend to come with. I was still uncertain what I was going to see so I looked online. Yonina agreed to come with and so at 7:45 we were in the lobby getting 20 shekel tickets and finding our seats in the balcony. I should have noticed the clues that it was not the Ud festival as I had thought. As we walked into the theater, I turned to Yonina and told her that we had just significantly lowered the average age. Then, as we entered the auditorium, we noticed all of the classical instruments and the bleachers. There were no programs handed out.

We had just stepped into a classical operatic concert with the Jerusalem symphony orchestra, soloists and a full choir. Singing Italian. Something religious in many parts. It was only as we were exiting out of the theater that I stopped someone to ask what we had just heard. Rossini! Who knew? (apparently she did!)

After some research on google, wikipedia and youtube tonight, I am able to confirm that it was the Stabat Mater- a religious compilation by Rossini in Italian. Apparently the Stabat Mater was a Latin hymn. The last part, the "AMEN," was the best. You can get an idea here- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KW5mmQsDkTE
(just remember the choir here in Jerusalem was wearing almost all black, lots of red, blond and orange hair [it is Israel] and most looked Russian- different king of 80's garb)

I hope to have more spontaneous cultural evenings as the year progresses. For instance I get a very different experience tomorrow as I go to Bethlehem for 36 hours. More to follow when I return (might have to wait until Saturday night).