Colorado Hebrew Chorale at Rodef Shalom: Kol Nashim
A review by Robin McNeil
Wednesday evening, May 21, I attended a performance by Kol Nashim, which is the women’s choir of the Colorado Hebrew Chorale. Kol Nashim is translated as “the voice of women,” and this performance was a benefit for the Jerusalem Center for Battered Women. It was sponsored by Woman to Woman, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping the victims of domestic violence in Israel.
In 1982, this organization founded the Jerusalem Shelter for Battered Women, and it has been responsible for aiding women throughout Israel who have suffered abuse at the hands of their partners. This shelter has given aid regardless of religion, race, nationality, age, or education, to women from all over Israel by providing a haven from physical and emotional abuse. Indeed, the title of this performance was “Woman to Woman.” The performance took place at the Congregation Rodef Shalom on South Kearney Street in Denver.
Kol Nashim, Women’s Choir of Colorado Hebrew Chorale
The concert was conducted by Leah Peer. I will quote from the Hebrew Chorale website:
“Leah Peer is the Artistic Director of Kol Nashim. She holds degrees in piano performance from the Rubin Academy of Music in Jerusalem and from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY. She had many years of experience directing treble choirs at the Kadimah School and at Amherst Bel Canto choirs, both in Buffalo, NY. For the past six years, Leah has sung with the Colorado Hebrew Chorale, and has served on its board since 2008.”
The women’s choir of the Colorado Hebrew Chorale, Kol Nashim, is a new organization, and it is yet small. However, the one aspect of this performance which was truly impressive was the infectious enthusiasm demonstrated by the singers. There are only five in the group so far, and they are Barbara Zimmerman, Laurie Pichus-Weiss, Kim Kramer, Marilyn Bogen, and Shirah Hopson. In addition, there was a bongo player, Carolyn Auerbach.
The pianist was Travis Yamamoto, and I will quote from the Hebrew Chorale website: “Travis Yamamoto has worked as a pianist and/or musical director for Country Dinner Playhouse, the Carousel Dinner Theatre, Heritage Square Music Hall, the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities, Littleton Town Hall, and the Denver Center for the Performing Arts… Mr. Yamamoto holds degrees from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and the University of Southern California.”
Colorado Hebrew Chorale Women’s Chorus
From the outset, it was very clear that the performers were excited about the performance, and that ability to enjoy the performance comes from hard work and the confidence that work brings. The musicians of this organization sing because they enjoy it, and I point out that the Colorado Hebrew Chorale and Kol Nashim do not require their members to audition. That means that Leah Peer not only has to conduct the group but also must lead the choir members through diction, breath control and voice support, and she may have to teach some of them how to count. But, I stress that none of them would be there if they did not have good voices. There is absolutely no question that the five singers in this group were well prepared by Maestra Leah Peer, and keep in mind, this was, perhaps, their fourth performance since their founding. I do hope that their next performance allows them to have a printed program.
The program included Jewish music in Hebrew and English, some of which was arranged by Leah Peer. There was a remarkable variety of music in the program, some of which was joyful, and some of which was very thoughtful. I particularly admired a work entitled Noah and The Dove and another called the Nightingale. Noah and The Dove was particularly effective. It was mellifluous and pensive, and it gave the singers a chance to display their voice quality.
The work that took me totally by surprise was a rendition of Irving Berlin’s Sisterhood, which had been translated to Hebrew. The choir members literally attacked this with great vigor, not to mention the vaudeville-Broadway dance steps. This was thoroughly enjoyed by the audience. I must say that many in the audience seemed to know the individuals on stage, and the antics plus the singing seemed to expose a new character of the singers. It was delightful.
Rather than an intermission, Maestra Leah Peer and Kol Nashim played a video explaining the works accomplished by the Jerusalem Center for Battered Women. Even though I was aware that this was a benefit concert for this center, the video came as a sobering interlude. It was highly effective, and clearly expressed the need for such an organization. I might add that the creator of this video was Ruth Keusch, mother of Music Director Leah Peer. There were at least sixty individuals in the audience, and it was clear that they were all moved by this presentation.
It was also clear that the audience thoroughly enjoyed this program. Carolyn Auerbach, who performed on the bongos and tambourine, was clearly enjoying herself, as well as her friends in the audience. In spite of its serious purpose, this was a concert that everyone enjoyed, and it was a program that I wish that nay-sayers of good music would attend. It would prove to them that it is still alive and healthy. This is a young organization, but their leadership, and the members’ response to that leadership was marked. You do not want to miss their next performance.
