Polyphonic Piyyutim: Women’s Singing Between Israel and the Balkans
Ye’arot Ensemble’s performance “Open to Me, My Sister” weaves together women’s polyphonic singing and piyyutim from Jewish tradition, in new and refreshing arrangements. The mystical texts that accompanied the Jewish life cycle for centuries receive a renewed interpretation, joined with folk melodies from the Balkans and the Middle East.
Some of the best-known and most beloved piyyutim are arranged vocally and musically with inspiration from the mysteries of the Bulgarian voice, the polyphonic singing of northern Greece, Georgian singing, and Sufi music from Turkey. The works in the performance include folk wind instruments — Turkish ney and bagpipes from Galicia and Bulgaria — together with accordion and percussion.
The ensemble creates a musical space in which Jewish sacred song emerges anew — not as an ancient memory, but as a living, breathing presence that touches the changing reality of the people of Israel: many voices seeking, from within the fracture, to unite into the vibration of one whole voice.
Artistic direction and musical arrangement: Maayan Tzafrir
Singers: Maayan Tzafrir, Meital Rachmin, Michal Tamari
Accordion: Yanush Hurwitz
Percussion: Nur Bar Goren
Balkan wind instruments: Meira Segal
Box office ticket: 90 NIS
Regular ticket: 80 NIS
Senior citizens and students: 70 NIS
