Jessica Steinberg, The Times of Israel's culture and lifestyles editor, covers the Sabra scene from south to north and back to the center
Arabic and Hebrew-speaking singers from Israeli Opera and local music academies record 'Somewhere' from 'West Side Story' in December 2023. (Screenshot)
Arab and Jewish singers gathered at the end of November to record a message of hope on the stage of the Israeli Opera, as conveyed in Leonard Bernstein’s classic piece “Somewhere,” from “West Side Story.”
They sang together in Arabic, Hebrew and English, choosing to create something together during this complicated time.
Opera conductor David Sebba orchestrated, arranged and translated into Hebrew the well-known song written by Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim, with an Arabic translation by Rina Miari.
The singers included Israeli Opera soloists, members of the Israeli Opera’s Meitar Opera Studio, students from the vocal departments of the the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music, and Tel Aviv University, alongside Arab and Jewish musicians from the Galilee Chamber Orchestra in Nazareth.
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Director Ben Bachar filmed the video which begins in in black and white before transitioning into color to demonstrate a hope for better days to come.
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