Israel Kibbutz Choir

[Steiff Shahar <cerrlss...>]

The Israel Kibbutz Choir under the direction of Avner
Itai will go on a concert tour through the United States
between September 27th -- October 15th 1994.
The program will include Jewish and Israeli Choral music.
There will be a choice of three programs.

PROGRAM A is a full concert of one and a half hours.
Upon special request aside from Jewish and Israeli music
we will include general choral music (e.g., Monteverdi,
Schubert etc.)

PROGRAM B will be 70 minutes long. Fewer contemporary
works and more music of the Jewish ethnic communities as
well as Israeli folklore arranged for a choir.

PROGRAM C is destined for schools and is 40 minutes long.
It includes Sabbath songs, Passover songs from the
various ethnic communities and Israeli music.

ADMINISTRATION
The choir includes 50 members who are willing to sleep in
private homes or modest hotels. We also request $30 per
person a day plus the cost of intra-US transportation.
For our concerts we need a tuned piano and a step or a
bench for the second row of singers.

If you wish to invite our choir to give a concert at your
place please contact one of the following:
Mrs. Vered Kolek --     Telephone:      (201) 9415850
                        Fax:            (201) 9437484
Mrs. Aviva Bar - the cultural attache at the General
Consulate of Israel in New York -
                        Telephone:      (212) 3515242
                        Fax:            (212) 3515280
Mrs. Ruth Rochel --     Telephone:      (212) 3186133
                        Fax:            (212) 3186134

You may also contact Shahar Steiff by e-mail
        cerrlss (at) tx(dot)technion(dot)ac(dot)il

A special note to readers from NYC - As we confront
great difficulties finding affordable accommodation in
NYC, any one willing to host a singer for a few days will
receive, in addition to our thanks and gratitude, a free
ticket to our concert.

THE ISRAEL KIBBUTZ CHOIR
The Israel Kibbutz Choir was founded in 1955 by
composer/conductor Yehuda Sharet. It was created to
provide a mean for Kibbutz members to express their
artistic talents as choral singers in a non-professional
framework.
The choir, under the direction of Avner Itai, today
includes 50 members from Kibbutzim (collective
settlements) throughout Israel.
The geographical span requires a special rehearsal
schedule -- a whole day rehearsal once a week in Tel-
Aviv, plus occasional weekend rehearsals at various
Kibbutzim, which include concerts for all music lovers of
the region.
Every year the Israel Kibbutz Choir is invited by the
Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra, The Kibbutz Chamber
Orchestra and other major Israeli ensembles to perform
major choral works. The choir has sung under the baton of
Zubin Mehta, James Levine, Daniel Barenboim, Sir George
Solti, Kurt Mazur, Joel Levi and Gary Bertini, among
others.
Avner Itay, too, has combined the choir's talents with
those of Israel's major orchestras, as guest conductor of
many major works.
The Israel Kibbutz Choir and its conductor also enjoy a
role in bringing the art of fine Choral singing to
Israeli youth. Its concert schedule includes performances
at schools and for audiences of Kibbutz children.
This year the Israel Kibbutz Choir was chosen to be the
house choir of "Beth Hatfutsot", Israel's museum of
Jewish History, giving monthly concerts of Jewish choral
folklore.
The Israel Kibbutz Choir is a member of the International
Federation of Choral Music (IFCM). It has participated in
seven "Europe Cantat" festivals and has performed in most
European countries. It has thus far released four vinyl
albums and one compact disc.

THE REPERTOIRE
The Israel Kibbutz Choir performs the best of the
European repertoire (from Palestrina to Penderecki),
including both a-cappella and accompanied works. Israeli
and Jewish music receive a special emphasis, and the
choir has been honored for its performance of these
works. The repertoire also includes ethnic and
traditional music, as well as folklore arranged for
choir.

THE KIBBUTZ
The first kibbutz was founded in the begining of the
century by Jewish idealists from Russia. Two goals
directed them: A. To be pioneers, working toward the
realization of Zionism and the building of a nation for
the Jewish people. B. To be pathfinders, creating a new
form of society and human intercation.
The kibbutz tries to implement a society based on co-
operation and equality, freeing its members from
economic, civic and spiritual exploitaition, as it
aspires to root out all possibility of oppression. The
means toward reaching those goals are elimination of
private propperty, joint production and consumption, and
equal value given to all forms of labor - the kibbutz
does not recognize the concept of a salary.
The various means of joint production, the labor force,
and its monetary system are managed by decisions of the
weekly meeting of the members of each kibbutz.
Independence from all economic burden allows members to
develope their talents, raising the spiritual and
cultural levels of the individual and the group.
Today, the kibbutz movement numbers 130,000 people in 300
kibbutzim scattered over map of Israel. The fourth
generation is now taking on its role as members. The
growth of the kibbutz movement came from additional
sources as well - graduates of youth movements in Israel
and abroad, and people searching for quality and a more
just community.

Shahar Steiff (Baritone, Kibbutznik and a Chemical-Engineer).

--
 /=== Shahar Steiff  -   Computing and Process Control Engineer ===\
/ Chemical Engineering, Technion , Haifa, ISRAEL 32000   (room 318) \
\ Ph.(+)972-4-293420 Fx.(+)972-4-230476 | cerrlss (at) 
tx(dot)technion(dot)ac(dot)il /
 \==Home:Ramat Yochanan 30035 04-459536 | cerrlss (at) technion(dot)bitnet==/

------------------------------

Topic No. 43