The brass solemnly intoned the standard repertory of Charpentier and Purcell, also including Beethoven's "Ode to Joy."
By URY EPPSTEINMusic good 88(photo credit: )Sounding Jerusalem
Final Concert
Austrian Hospice
July 5
The Sounding Jerusalem chamber music festival's closing event was a rooftop entertainment happening rather than a formal concert. Brass instrument ensembles, positioned strategically atop the Austrian Hospice and three other roofs in its vicinity, alternated with the nearby mosque's muezzin, adding a local touch of authenticity.
The brass solemnly intoned the standard repertory of Charpentier and Purcell, also including Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" from his Ninth Symphony for good measure. An "Idea" on the Bells of Jerusalem, by Rainer Auerbach, the ensemble's chief trumpeter, was mildly amusing. Echo-like repeats from neighboring roofs contributed a swell, calculated sound effect.
For those underprivileged audience members who could not hear the performance well enough due to the open-air locale, a repeat performance of the same pieces was offered in the Austrian Hospice's garden.
This conclusion of three weeks of Sounding Jerusalem well expressed the enterprise's spirit of a goodwill mission, peace on earth - especially in the Middle East - and abundant milk of human kindness.
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