Magevet a cappella choir from Yale University to perform in Porto
Founded in 1993, Magevet is one of the America’s premiere Jewish a cappella singing groups. A coed ensemble comprised of undergraduate students at Yale University, Magevet is known for its sweet blend of voices, unique arrangements, and lighthearted sense of humor.
Building on their strong relationship with Spanish and Portuguese congregations in the United States, in New York and Rhode Island, the choir planned a tour of the homeland of the rich Jewish culture of Sepharad. This will consist of two weeks of touring Spain and Portugal, bringing music, an educational approach, and love of Jewish culture to the heartland from which many of the oldest tunes in that tradition were composed or developed.
Much of the repertoire of Magevet is Spanish and Portuguese: Durme Durme, Mi Dimandas, La Rosa (recorded on albums) in Ladino, as well as Mah She'akhalnu, Az Yashir, and others from the sacred music repertoire of the Spanish and Portuguese Jews. The choir will be visiting Barcelona and Porto.
Highlights of their concert repertoire include a new arrangement of the Ladino classic Kuando el Rey Nimrod, a blend of Israeli folk tunes, and old favorites like Bashanah Haba’ah and Yerushalayim Shel Zahav.
Contact with the Mekor Haim Choir, a project of the Jewish Community of Porto, under the musical direction of Leonardo Mendonça, resulted in an invitation to tour Porto and to sing together. They will be hosted by local families during their stay.
The first concert of Magevet with take place on Wednesday, May 27 at 9pm in the Cine-Teatro Eduardo Brazão in Valadares, Gaia.
Their second concert will be held in the Porto Holocaust Museum on Friday, May 29 at 3 p.m. They will be joined in this concert by members of the Mekor Haim Choir for a joint presentation of Barechu, by the Italian Jewish Baroque composer Salomone Rossi. Participation is free of charge, but advance registration is required.
In Barcelona, they will be performing at Casa Adret, a center for Jewish culture and music. More information about their concert on May 31 at 5pm can be found here.
To hear sound samples from Magevet, please visit their website.
