Artist: The Zamir Chorale

About The Artist:

The Zamir Chorale, founded in 1960 by Stanley Sperber, has been directed by Matthew Lazar since 1972. The leading voice of the Jewish choral movement, Zamir has been a major spark in creating a new generation of Jewish choral music, commissioning and premiering works by contemporary North American and Israeli composers. The Chorale has collaborated with Leonard Bernstein, Zubin Mehta, Daniel Barenboim and others in the choral/orchestral. The Chorale has also appeared with a diverse array of artists including Elie Wiesel, Naomi Shemer, Richie Havens, Danny Kaye, Theodore Bikel, Hershel Bernardi and Shoshana Damari.

Song: Orcha Bamidbar

Contribution to: Israel Cancer Research Fund

Orcha Bamidbar was the first song ever written by David Zahavi (1910-1975). The young composer (he was only 17 at the time!) found a poem by Yaakov Fichman (1881-1958) in a publication called “Moledet,” whose monthly issues were targeted to Israel’s youth. Zahavi excerpted lines and phrases from Fichman’s poem to create his lyric; the melody he fashioned has a distinctly Oriental flavor, reminiscent of the nomadic people immortalized in the song. While many of Israel’s earlier songs bore strong resemblances to –or even borrowed pre-existing melodies from — European tunes, Zahavi was among the first to write in the Eastern style that would distinguish so much of Israel’s music.

About Israel Cancer Research Fund

The Israel Cancer Research Fund is the only voluntary charitable organization in North America solely devoted to supporting cancer research in Israel. Since 1975, ICRF has provided 1688 grants to outstanding cancer researchers whose laboratories are located in all of the leading scientific research institutions, universities and hospitals across Israel.

Orcha Bamidbar

by The Zamir Chorale