Last night I attended one of the best concerts I’ve been to lately, “Celebrations Through The Centuries.” Down in Hoboken, at Park Avenue between 1st and 2nd Street, is the United Synagogue of Hoboken. As we arrived we looked for some open seats, because the Synagogue was filling up! To a packed house everyone was ready to be swept away.
First up was Con Vivo Chamber Music. I’ve been hearing about this emsemble and have been wanting to see them. They play free concerts around Jersey City, and last night was their Hoboken debut. I absolutely love Bach and was thrilled to hear them play, Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D Major. The musicians playing were, Jan-Piet Knijff, harpsicord; Kelli Kathman, flute; Salley Koo, violin; Rachel Golub, violin; Ralph Allen, violin; Amelia Hollander Ames, viola; and Carolyn Jeselsohn, cello. Each of these musicians is incredibly gifted and the concerto has wonderful solos for flute, violin, and harpsicord with volin, viola, cello and basso continuo support.
They were so marvelous, they played an encore!
From the program it says about ConVivo: “Con Vivo brings the communal spirit of chamber music to the vibrant and unique setting of Jersey City…” If you want to see them, their next concert is Saturday, February 27, at 8PM, Grace Church Van Vorst, 39 Erie Street in Jersey City.
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Next the United Synagogue of Hoboken Choir walked to the platform. Directed by Rabbi Robert Scheinberg, with 15 members they sang most of their pieces, A cappella. A very nice mix of sopranos, altos, tenors and basses. They sang, Hall’luhu (Psalm 150), Al Kol Elech, Haleli Nafshi et Adonai (Psalm 146), Liqrat Aviv/Qumi Lakh (Song of Songs), and Havah Nagilah (Let us rejoice). In the past I can remember this choir singing with the accompaniment of a guitar and other instruments but found it quite interesting to hear their voices fill the room and the audience responded with clapping and occasionally singing along.
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The final ensemble was Cantigas Women’s Choir, directed by Joan Isaacs Litman. I have followed Cantigas around for many years. Two of my friends are in the choir, Florence Pape and Mary Jo Rhodes. There were 57 women on the platform and when they sang, the harmony was a joyous celebration indeed. Last night they sang some pieces with the accompaniment of a fidula, played by Patricio Diaz, and percussion, played by Mathias Kunzli, and some of the pieces with Erasmia Voukelatos at the piano. They played some really interesting music from different regions of the world, always impressing us and challenging the members of the choir with new languages to learn. Their program was as follows: Durme, Durme, Los Kaminoz de Sirkeci, Komplas de Purim, Nigra Sum, Eliyahu HaNavi, and Psalm Trilogy. Just amazing, if you haven’t yet seen them, you must.
The evening ended with the United Synagogue of Hoboken Choir joining Cantigas and together they sang, Salaam (Od Yavo Shalom).
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Afterward, my friends and I walked up to Washington Street to eat, drink, and talk about the glorious evening out.
Cantigas Women's Choir at United Synagogue of Hoboken. Photograph by John Crittenden.
