Musicians of Jerusalem Kehilla hold a concert

JERUSALEM – On Wednesday 22 October 2014, the Hebrew-speaking Catholic Community of Jerusalem, gave a concert in order to familiarize audience with  liturgical hymns.  Many guests  attended, including Bishop Msgr Shomali.

The speciality and unison of the Church of Jerusalem consist in a variety of  rites, liturgies, languages and traditions in which they are expressed.  An important place is reserved to the Catholic Hebrew-speaking community which since its establishment (in the years 50s) and until this day composes its own hymns,  the texts being inspired from the Holy Scripture.

During the concert given on Wednesday at  St Simon & St Anne’s Chapel in  Jerusalem, the skilled musicians (Fr. Rafiq, Benedetto, Tiago, Martine, Eliane and Samia) played different songs for each liturgical time stretching from Advent through to  Pentecost.  They started with Psalm 1, sung in memory of Brother Yaacov, who died on the same day of the concert given in Summer 1995, ending with  Psalm 150, interpreted  with joy and thanksgiving to John Paul II, whose  first memory was honoured.

 

Among the guests of honour were the Greek Catholic Archbishop, Yusuf Jules Zerey ;  Mgr Matteo de Mori, Advisor at the Holy See Nunciate, Sr Frida Nasser, head of the Fraternity of Religious of  the Holy Land ;  Fr. Paraic Reamonn, Minister at the Scottish  Church.  Before leaving the chapel for a  glass of friendship, all guests, some one hundred persons, sung together Our father in Arabic and in Hebrew.

At the end of the concert, Mgr Shomali, Latin Auxiliary Bishop of Jerusalem, in charge of the liturgical commission of the diocese, strongly recommended  : “Musicians of Hebrew language and Arabic language, representing the two lungs of the local Church, gather to prepare together a directory of songs in the two languages,  as a sign of unity of the Church of the Holy Land”

Artic, video, photos : Andres Bergamini

Source: http://en.lpj.org/2014/10/28/musicians-of-jerusalem-kehilla-hold-a-concert/