THE VOICE OF THE CELLO - charity concert

Four outstanding cellists - Raphael Wallfisch, John Heley, Andrea Hess and Gemma Rosefield - will perform in a special charity concert at The Liberal Jewish Synagogue in St. John’s Wood, North West London. The concert features Jewish and secular music for the cello as well as 19th century romantic operatic arias. It is a highlight of The LJS centenary celebrations running throughout 2011 and reflects the importance of music in the community’s spiritual and social life. ‘The Voice of the Cello’ has been selected by Gramophone magazine as one of the best events worldwide this May. The four cellists already have a significant link with The LJS. They have each played Bruch’s setting of Kol Nidrei in the synagogue at the commencement of Yom Kippur during the Day of Atonement evening service, which itself is known as Kol Nidrei (‘All Vows’). This long-standing annual LJS tradition, dating back to the early 1930s, is believed to be unique in the UK. Also appearing are soprano Ilona Domnich and pianist Simon Lepper. The concert will be held in the synagogue’s strikingly beautiful modern sanctuary which is lined with Jerusalem stone. Proceeds will aid two charities: The LJS Centenary Appeal and Daniel Barenboim’s West-Eastern Divan Orchestra. The concert is sponsored by The Ernest Hecht Charitable Foundation. Please note: programme may be subject to change. The concert will be preceded by a talk about Bruch and his Kol Nidrei by Dr Alexander Knapp, musician, musicologist and former lecturer in Jewish Music at SOAS.