Saying it with music

AN EXCELLENT singer can deliver a good performance anywhere and at any time, regardless of his or her mood.

- • By GREER FAY CASHMAN

But when you have three first-class soloists, each with an amazing voice, with an incredible vocal range and the ability to hold a note for a long time, plus the fact that they have a strong affection for each other and really enjoy singing with each other in different genres, it becomes a magnificent jam session.

At Emunah Jerusalem’s 17th annual Jerusalem of Harmony concert, the trio absolutely outdid themselves, partially because it was a farewell tribute to Renee Becker, who had devoted more than half a century of her life to Emunah and had been the organizer of the previous 16 concerts.

Wanting to be closer to their children and grandchildren, she and her husband, Laurence, have moved from Jerusalem to their new home in Yad Binyamin.

In addition to the three tenors, Cantors Simon Cohen and Shai Abramson, plus a somewhat younger star, Chaim Zippel, others on stage at the Henry Crown Auditorium in the Jerusalem Theater complex included composer, arranger, and pianist Raymond Goldstein, who played the piano; the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Marc Temerlies; the Hallelu Choir, conducted by Shalom Kinori; highly talented violinist Ma’ayan Cavenor; and comperes Richard Shavei Zion and Ido Tauber.

Singers and musicians almost always perform better when there’s a large audience. This time it was a full house, which was usually the case at Emunah Jerusalem concerts.

The program included a mix of liturgy, classics, and pop, but what was particularly moving was Simon Cohen’s rendition of “My Yiddishe Momme” in memory of his mother, who died a year ago, just before the concert.

Cohen, who has appeared in almost every one of the concerts in the series, had to back out at the last minute. But on Monday night, he sang a soul-stirring rendition of “My Yiddishe Momme,” first in Yiddish, then in English. Toward the end of the evening, he sang a delightful tribute in English to Becker to the tune of “Jerusalem of Gold.”