'The Blue Skies of Haifa' Concert at St. John's Church • 'El Carmel' Ensemble conducted by Albert Blanc ◄ Watch

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The Wonderful Concert: A Musical Bridge Between Cultures for Brotherhood and Peace

On Sunday evening, 19/1/25, in the presence of a large audience of music lovers, residents, artists, and distinguished guests, a concert was held open to the general public (free of charge) at the Church of St. John in Wadi Nisnas (24 Khouri St.) – which was not only a musical event but also a bridge of brotherhood and peace between cultures. The event was held under the auspices of the Haifa Municipality, the Aptovitzer Foundation for Haifa, and the Al-Carmel Association.

The moving concert is the product of a profound musical vision, during which the dream of the well-known Haifa musician Albert Blanc came true. Over the years, Blanc not only devoted his energy to teaching music and developing the next generation of musicians, but also initiated the establishment of the 'El Carmel' association - a unique music center serving the Arab population in Haifa and its surroundings.

Albert Blanc, conductor of the El Carmel Orchestra ► Watch

Beethoven, Symphony No. 9 – El Carmel Orchestra, conductor Albert Blanc (Photo: Racheli Auerbach)
St. John's Church - "The Blue Skies of Haifa" concert - some of the event participants (Photo: Racheli Auerbach)
St. John's Church - "The Blue Skies of Haifa" concert - some of the event participants (Photo: Racheli Auerbach)

'The Blue Sky of Haifa'

After the Haifa sky was liberated from the shadows of war, we enjoyed a unique musical evening that earned the name: 'The Blue Sky of Haifa.' On this fine and delightful evening, the 'El Carmel' Orchestra performed an extraordinary concert, in collaboration with prominent musicians from Israel and Germany who came to Israel especially to play together sounds of hope, peace, and brotherhood.

The concert took listeners on a journey through the sounds of Arabic, Hasidic, classical and world music while using Eastern and Western musical instruments.

In addition, there were spectacular performances played on the church's pipe organ, a historic organ built more than 120 years ago, and played by the German composer and musician Thomas Wechter.

A quick glance at the concert program shows the impressive musical diversity that was played during the evening. The repertoire included classical music pieces performed by the best composers such as Beethoven, Handel, Mozart and Bach, alongside a fascinating combination of Arabic and Balkan music. Jewish-Hasidic music was also played throughout the church, which added a unique dimension to the event.

El Carmel Orchestra ► Watch

Lunga Shahnaz, Adham Effendi – Al-Carmel Orchestra, conducted by Albert Blanc (Photo: Racheli Auerbach)
"The Blue Skies of Haifa" - Concert Program (Photo: Racheli Auerbach)
"The Blue Skies of Haifa" – Concert Program (Photo: Racheli Auerbach)
Thomas Wechter - composer and musician playing at St. John's Church, Haifa (Photo: Racheli Auerbach)
Thomas Wechter - composer and musician playing at St. John's Church, Haifa (Photo: Racheli Auerbach)

Heavenly Music at St. John's Church

The concert took place at the Church of St. John, located in the heart of the Wadi Nisnas neighborhood in Haifa, a church that serves as both a place of prayer and a bridge between the city's various communities. Built in 1935 in the Gothic Revival style, the church stands tall on Khoury Street with an impressive facade consisting of three wings and a bell tower located on the north wing.

In the morning hours, the voices of children from the elementary school, which combines Christian, Druze, and Muslim students, are heard and echoed off the walls of the place - but at night and on festive occasions, the church becomes a spiritual arena for prayers and musical performances.

This is the place where religions and cultures meet. It is a point that creates a connection between hearts and even preserves a history of coexistence, brotherhood, and peace.

Raymonda Khazan ► Watch

Raymonda Khazan, Ya Naba El-Mahbi – 'With the El Carmel Orchestra' (Photo: Racheli Orbach)

Raymonda Khazan ► Watch

Raymonda Khazan, Ya Naba El-Mahbi, Part 2 – with the 'El Carmel' Orchestra (Photo: Racheli Orbach)
St. John's Church - "The Blue Skies of Haifa" Concert - Greetings to the audience and best wishes to the participants (Photo: Racheli Auerbach)
St. John's Church - "The Blue Skies of Haifa" Concert - Greetings to the audience and best wishes to the participants (Photo: Racheli Auerbach)

יMasterful classical compositions opposite 'Eva Maria' and the Shabbat piyyut 'Shalom Aleichem'

The exciting combination of the masterful works of Beethoven, Bach, and Mozart with religious works such as the 'Ave Maria' prayer and the Jewish piyyut 'Shalom Aleichem' constitutes a connection of different musical worlds that succeed in creating a deep spiritual and emotional experience.

The idea of ​​making classical music accessible alongside traditional prayer works conveys a message of connection between cultures and religions, while preserving the musical and experiential value of each work. The possibility of combining these two artistic poles – one, a classical work written for a wide audience, and the other, a religious poem created from a deep personal connection – clarifies the wonderful ability of music to cross borders, combine worlds and touch hearts. This combination deserves great appreciation, as it presents the power of music as a bridge between cultures and religions, and reveals the power of music to give us moments of beauty, meaning and spirituality.

The exquisite concert repertoire offered a rich and diverse musical experience, during which Eastern and Western melodies, as well as Hasidic works, were spectacularly combined. The complex and unique combination created a challenging musical mix, which offered listeners not only musical pleasure, but also an opportunity to deepen and get to know the different and unique cultures, all of which contain a fascinating charm of identity and difference.

St. John's Church - The church pipe organ was built more than 120 years ago (Photo: Racheli Auerbach)
St. John's Church – The church pipe organ was built more than 120 years ago (Photo: Racheli Auerbach)

Albert Blanc: A musician with a big and impressive dream

Albert Blanc, a musician born in Haifa (1966), is no ordinary man. His life course, along with his deep musical passion, indicate a man who devoted all his energy to developing music culture in Haifa, and especially among the city's Arab community.

From a young age, Blanc began experimenting with music, creating a guitar-like instrument out of fishing lines. Later, when he reached the age of 12, he enrolled in the neighborhood conservatory and learned to play the violin, out of a deep connection to classical music and oriental Arab music styles. Although he began studying the violin, Blanc always dreamed of learning to play the accordion, but at the time there were no teachers available for this instrument in the city who spoke Arabic.

Queen of Sheba ► Watch

Handel, Queen of Sheba – Irit Gabrieli & Thomas Wachter – St. John's Church (Photo: Racheli Auerbach)

Eva Maria ► Watch

Eva Maria – vocals: Wallis Nachli, organ music by Thomas Wachter (Photo: Racheli Auerbach)

The Educational and Musical Journey: Beyond the Spotlight

Blanc's musical journey continued in an extraordinary way in high school, where he began performing and playing to a diverse audience at Beit Gefen. Teaching was an integral part of Albert Blanc's life, and he completed a bachelor's degree in music teaching at Levinsky College, and a master's degree in music at Tel Aviv University.

During 30 years of teaching in the education system, he developed his musical and educational skills simultaneously, with his main goal being to create a generation that understands the value of music, alongside a generation that will specialize in the playing and performance of authentic and modern music.

Irit Gabrieli ► Watch

Mozart, Symphony 40 – Irit Gabrieli with the El-Carmel Orchestra (Photo: Racheli Orbach)
St. John's Church - "The Blue Skies of Haifa" Concert - Picture of part of the ensemble (Photo: Racheli Auerbach)
St. John's Church - "The Blue Skies of Haifa" Concert - Picture of part of the ensemble (Photo: Racheli Auerbach)

hallelujah ► Watch

Leonard Cohen, Hallelujah – Vocals: Velim Nachli + Al-Carmel Orchestra conducted by Albert Blanc (Photo: Racheli Auerbach)

The establishment of 'El Carmel': a unique music center

In line with his rich musical experience and educational vision, Blanc formulated the idea of ​​establishing a professional music center that would focus on music from the East and the West and would be open to all populations, but especially to the Arab population. Thus was born the 'Al Carmel Association', a professional music center in Haifa, offering diverse musical study programs.

Today, the center, located at 16 Yavne Street in Haifa, serves over 300 students from ages 4 to 65 and offers, with the professional help of about 23 teachers, deep and diverse musical experiences, while maintaining tradition and all the innovations in music.

Sholem Aleichem ► Watch

The piyyut 'Shalom Aleichem' – St. John's Church – Irit Gabrieli with the 'El Carmel' Orchestra and Albert Blanc (Photo: Racheli Auerbach)
St. John's Church - "The Blue Skies of Haifa" Concert - Al-Carmel Orchestra, conducted by Albert Blanc (Photo: Racheli Auerbach)
St. John's Church - Concert "The Blue Skies of Haifa" - Al-Carmel Orchestra, conducted by Albert Blanc (Photo: Racheli Auerbach)

The El Carmel Music Center: A Hotbed of Cultures and Inspiration

The El Carmel Music Center not only educates in playing and music, but also creates a bridge between different cultures in the city of Haifa. This process is especially important in a multicultural city like Haifa, where a synthesis exists between the Jewish and Arab populations.

The Al Carmel Association, founded in Haifa in 1995 by Blanc Alber, seeks to enrich Arab musical culture in Israel and provide a positive platform for young and experienced musicians. The association strives to deepen musical roots and create a generation that appreciates authentic and modern music.

This center, the first of its kind in Israel, offers professional musical education and includes projects for at-risk youth and children with special needs, orchestras, festivals and activities to promote Arab and world music. "Music - A Bridge to Brotherhood and Peace", the current concert is also one of the events that illustrates the association's commitment to cooperation between cultures and religions.

The 'Al Carmel Association' is supported by the Ministry of Culture and Sports, the Haifa Municipality, as well as organizations, individuals, and under the auspices of the 'Aptovitzer Foundation for Haifa' - and has already nurtured a new generation of musicians and singers who continue in Blanc's path.

Raymonda Khazan ► Watch

Raymonda Khazen, Sata Artists – with the 'Al-Carmel' Orchestra conducted by Albert Blanc (Photo: Racheli Auerbach)

Folklore melody ► Watch

Folklore melody, Irit Gabrieli and the 'El Carmel' Orchestra and Albert Blanc (Photo: Racheli Auerbach)

The concert at St. John's Church: A musical experience that crosses borders

The special concert, which took place at the Church of St. John in Wadi Nisnas, was an extraordinary event that revealed the power of music as a bridge to peace and brotherhood.

During the evening, Arab, Jewish and world music pieces were presented, in joint performances by artists and singers from Israel and abroad, alongside the 'El Carmel' ensemble. The voices of the artists from around the world mingled with the local sounds to create a heavenly and unique musical experience that can touch every heart. The concert became a symbol of brotherhood and connection between the different peoples, while maintaining a musical dialogue that brings with it the hopes of partnership and understanding between them.

Bella Chow ► Watch

Bella Ciao, an Italian partisan song – El Carmel Orchestra conducted by Albert Blanc (Photo: Racheli Auerbach)

Raymonda Khazan ► Watch

Bella Ciao, an Italian partisan song – encore part – El Carmel Orchestra conducted by Albert Blanc (Photo: Racheli Auerbach)
Thomas Wechter and Irit Gabrieli - at St. John's Church (Photo: Racheli Auerbach)
Thomas Wechter and Irit Gabrieli – at St. John's Church (Photo: Racheli Auerbach)

Music as a Bridge to Peace: Values ​​of Reconciliation and Mutual Understanding

It goes without saying that the concert held at St. John's Church is not just a summary of a musical process, but also a symbol of a larger process that drives the association and the center. Music has become a tool here that connects different worlds, tools that create synthesis and bring diverse cultures together.

Blanc not only succeeded in developing a professional music center, but also raised a new generation of young and old, music lovers and creators, who understand the importance of bridging the different cultures in the State of Israel.

This significant concert is an example of how sometimes, through creativity and art, it is possible to build bridges of peace, mutual respect, and reconciliation, which lead the entire society towards a better future.

Happy song ► Watch

A happy song, composed by Mordechai Zeira – Irit Gabrieli and the 'El Carmel' Orchestra with Albert Blanc (Photo: Racheli Auerbach)

Happy song ► Watch

A Happy Song, Encore – composed by Mordechai Zeira – Irit Gabrieli and the El Carmel Orchestra with Albert Blanc (Photo: Racheli Auerbach)
Thomas Wachter - in spectacular performances on the organ of St. John's Church (Photo: Racheli Auerbach)
Thomas Wachter – in spectacular performances on the organ of St. John's Church (Photo: Racheli Auerbach)

contact: At watsapBy email

Racheli Orbach
Racheli Orbach
Engaged in special education, art and music. Volunteers in deaf clubs. Engaged in painting and guided listening to classical music.

More articles from the same reporter

4 תגובות

  1. Wow, I really enjoyed reading the article and listening to the diverse and beautiful music.
    It's also nice to know that in our Haifa, events are held to bring hearts closer together. We all need this, and music certainly contributes.
    Good news for all of us,
    Thank you to the wonderful musicians, the wonderful singer, the conductor and of course the photographer.

    • Thank you Ronit for your response.
      indeed,
      Haifa is a city where the trend of brotherhood is growing, and it is even possible to experience events that contribute to bringing hearts closer together.
      And as you mentioned: "music definitely contributes" to this.

  2. Thank you, Ms. Racheli, for the moving and professional article. There is no doubt that such an article will help us continue with our project "Music as a Bridge to Brotherhood and Peace between Different Cultures and Religions."
    And we will be happy to host you at more concerts.
    Proud of you 🙏 Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

    • Thank you, Albert, for your kind words.
      I hope you continue your important work.
      I would also like to draw your attention to
      By pressing the down arrow on the left, or an arrow on the computer,
      The article can also be read in the following languages:
      Arabic
      English
      Russian
      And Amharic.
      So you can also pass it on to those who prefer to read things in one of these languages!

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