Winter Concerts Resonate in Abu Ghosh

Abu Ghosh, an enchanting hillside village just 10 km from Jerusalem, offers visitors a rich harmony of history. It is believed to be the biblical site of Kiryat Ye’arim, where the Ark of the Covenant is said to have rested for twenty years, before King David returned it to Jerusalem.

The Church of Notre Dame de l'Arche de l'Alliance (also known as the Kiryat Ye'arim Church) and St. Mary of the Resurrection Abbey, which offer near-perfect acoustics are testimony to its historical significance. Twice a year they become home to exquisite performances during the Vocal Musical Festival and then again during the Winter Concert series, when the hills truly come alive with the sound of music.

The Winter Concerts are held at noon on the last Saturday of January through March at the Kiryat Ye'arim Church.

The concert on January 29, 2011, entitled Bach in Versailles, featured Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No.4 and the Wedding Cantata performed by soprano Ye’ela Avital and conducted by Patrick Cohen-Akenine.

The second concert of 2011, entitled Beyond the Flight of the Dove, will take place on February 26 and feature favorite ballads from Ireland and Scotland, as well as American folk and country music and acoustic arrangements of popular songs.

The final concert, on March 26, Anna Magdalena Bach, will feature Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 and the Cantata 51 for soprano and trumpet, as well as excerpts from the Notebook for Anna Magdalena.

For more information: http://www.agfestival.co.il/en