Our Work
*`Ki Lo Naeh`-featuring David Lavi and Keren Kedem.
A piyyut for the spring festival of Pessach (Passover), from the community of Alessandria. This
interpretation (transl- ‘’He is worthy of our Praise’) aims to reanimate the former sounds of celebration
and singing from the synagogue of Alessandria, which has lain empty for years, with no remaining
Jewish community to worship in it.
'Illumination : Early Jewish Italian spiritual music' (Stradivarius - album promo)
The premiere recording of 'Illumination-Jewish Italian Spiritual Music’ is a fresh and unique international cooperation which sheds light onto the mesmerizing and largely unknown musical legacy of Italian Jewry. 'Illumination' presents Jewish Italian spiritual music from the renaissance and baroque periods, as well as early rare 'piyyutim' (liturgical poems) and prayers from the Italian Jewish musical tradition, performed on period instruments with world renowned musicians!
’Lecha Dodi’- featuring Yonatan Razel, lead voice, and David Lavi
A lyrical piyyut to welcome Shabbat, this radiant melody for Lecha Dodi (transl:‘Come, my beloved’) is
from the communities of Venezia and Ferrara and has existed as performed here for over 300 years
(as partially notated by B.Marcello in L’Estro Poetico-Armonico, Venezia 1723).
of redemption from enslavement in Egypt.
*‘Kol Nidrei’- featuring Yair Harel, Merav Ben David-Harel, Keren Kedem, and Fr Alberto Pari
This haunting and unique melody from the Firenze community for the ‘Kol Nidrei’ (transl-’All Vows’)
prayer is recited in the evening, at the beginning of the Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) fast. It echoes
typical elaborate Renaissance lyric forms, using recitatives, repetition of themes, and elaboration to
monumentally convey the solemnity and intention of this powerful Yom Kippur prayer for forgiveness,
repentance, clean slates and new beginnings.
*’Im Afes’- featuring Yair Harel
This redemptive piyyut, (transl-’When hope is gone’) with lyrics written a thousand years ago,
recounts the initially harrowing yet ultimately affirming act of faith of the near sacrifice of his son,
Isaac, by Abraham. The text offers hope even when all hope may seem blighted. With a melody from
the Roman Jewish community, this interpretation incorporates the Ghironda (Hurdy-Gurdy), a folk
instrument commonly used in medieval Italian Jewish communities.