Women's a cappella ensemble

BY HELENE LAYNE

Temple Beth Am, 5950 N. Kendall Dr., will host the critically acclaimed women's a cappella ensemble, Vocolot, in a free concert, on Friday, Jan. 21, at 8:30 p.m.

Vocolot performs original music with universal heart, Jewish soul and social conscience. Vocolot's repertoire, primarily composed by Linda Hirschhorn, mixes traditional modes with folk, jazz and classical idioms to create an innovative sound for the coming century.

Preceding the concert will be a Shabbat service at 6 p.m. featuring Vocolot, followed by a dinner at 7:15 p.m. Reservations and payment are required for the dinner only. Cost for the dinner is $16 for adults and $8 for children ages 4 to 12 (no charge for children age 3 and under). This free concert for the community is made possible through the generosity of Barbara and Saul Genet and Family.

Vocolot weaves poetry, lush harmonies and dynamic rhythms into a musical tapestry that revitalizes traditions and rededicates audiences to a vision of social justice. A play on words, Vocolot takes its name from the English word "vocal" and the Hebrew word "kolot," meaning voices.

Founded a decade ago, the all-female a cappella sextet fuses Hirschhorn's sensibilities as a cantor with elements of folk, gospel, and doo-wop.

Singing rounds and canons in English and Hebrew, Hirschhorn, Ellen Robinson, Judith-Kate Friedman, Jennifer Karno, Liz Stuart and Alison Lewis have risen to prominence in the contemporary a cappella world, thanks to the widespread acclaim for their third recording, Behold!

They have been performing for audiences across the United States in English and Hebrew, with a sprinkling of Yiddish, Ladino, Arabic and American Sign Language.

Temple Beth Am invites the community to enjoy an evening of one of the most outstanding Jewish arts programs.

For further information call Temple Beth Am at 305-667-6667.

Temple Beth Am is a Reform Congregation, and a member of the UAHC (Union of American Hebrew Congregations).