Fran Gordon is producer of the Gordon Memorial Concert series; one of the creators of the Taste of Eternity Workshop; a member of the Board of Directors of the Western Wind; an enthusiastic Western Wind workshop participant; and a collaborator with noted resident composer Elliot Z. Levine.
Saturday, December 13, at 7:00 p.m.
The Agnon School
26500 Shaker Blvd
Beachwood, OH 44122
Tickets are available online at www.agnon.org, at The Agnon School or at the door and cost $18 per adult, $10 per child and $36 per family.
The Chanukah Story relays the origins of the holiday as well as the rituals and customs that have evolved to celebrate it. The Western Wind, a New York a cappella group, explores the rich diversity of Jewish culture, performing songs and melodies spanning the centuries and the globe. A festive mood is set by traditional songs such as "Chanukah, Oh Chanukah," while other selections include Sephardic, Israeli, Yiddish and Chassidic folk songs.
In addition, some songs depict the historical events that the holiday commemorates, while others describe parties and even recipes for making holiday foods. There are classical and contemporary settings of biblical texts, and popular song including "Maoz Tzur" ("Rock of Ages") and "I Have a Little Dreidel." The six vocalists of the Western Wind will be accompanied by an accordion, violin, guitar and double bass.
The Western Wind has devoted itself to the special beauty and variety of a cappella music since 1969. This internationally acclaimed vocal sextet’s repertoire reveals the diverse background of its members -- from Renaissance motets to 50’s rock ’n’ roll, from medieval carols to jazz standards, from complex works by avant-garde composers to the simplest folk melodies.
In conjunction with this holiday concert, Agnon will also host a musical Shabbaton on Friday, December 12, and Saturday, December 13, featuring the Western Wind. The vocal ensemble will perform as well as teach a number of selections from their acclaimed Taste of Eternity - A Musical Shabbat recordings. In addition to a workshop, the Shabbaton will include a Friday evening Shabbat dinner and service as well as a Saturday morning service and lunch.
Founded in 1969, Agnon is a private, coeducational school located in Beachwood, Ohio. As Cleveland’s only Jewish Day School accredited for educational excellence by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States, Agnon features a comprehensive integrated curriculum that blends outstanding general academics with solid Jewish values to create a strong intellectual and ethical base. Open to the entire Jewish community, Agnon enrolls more than 340 students (18 months – 8th grade) from diverse Jewish backgrounds.