Sorry we missed you (or glad you were there) at our great Ra'anana musical evening

We had a terrific Rainbow of Music concert in Ra'anana last week. An almost-full house enjoyed some rousing, upbeat music along with some moving (and brief) speeches. If you were there, you will have gotten a link to a four minute video sampler of the night's delights already. And if you didn't, here it is:

Some background about the performers and personalities who adorned the stage:

• Shlomo Gronich, pianist, arranger, composer, is one of the most prolific and diverse musicians active in Israel during the past four decades. Having composed nearly a thousand original pieces – pop songs, compositions for orchestra and choruses, soundtracks for film, theater, dance and television programs - his opus gives expression to his extraordinarily broad experience and talents.
• His Excellency Mr Chris Cannan has been serving as Australia's ambassador to Israel since June 2017. A senior career officer in Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), he has held top-level positions in a variety of postings and portfolios including overseeing Australia's aid investments in health, education, climate change the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. He was previously DFAT's Chief of Protocol, head of the Staffing Branch and of the Environment Branch and worked on a string of bilateral issues including South-East Asia and Europe, international security and arms control and public affairs. Mr Cannan did not sing but his eloquent speech to the audience was received with great warmth.
• Colin Schachat has established himself internationally both as renowned baritone and cantor. He performs a wide range of popular repertoire including Broadway, Yiddish, Opera, Hassidic, Israeli, Italian and Spanish songs. He is frequently heard performing in concerts with some of the world's leading orchestras, choirs and singers . His unique rich baritone voice combined with rare artistic versatility has allowed him to build up an international career beyond Israel which has been his home since 1991.
• Avremi Roth transitions easily between chazanut (the art of the prayer leader in Jewish liturgical tradition) and popular hassidic songs. At High Holydays time, he is the prayer leader in the Ramat Shalom community in Mexico City. Throughout the year, he performs his music in concerts in Israel (including earlier appearances in our Rainbow of Music events) and internationally.

The backbone of last week's concert, as of every previous Rainbow of Music event to benefit the Malki Foundation (this was the eleventh such event since the series got underway in 2012), was the Ramatayim Men's Choir under the leadership of the inimitable Richard Shavei-Tzion. As the distinguished and talented men of Ramatayim get younger and ever more harmonious, their concerts - and their fabulous efforts on behalf of the Malki Foundation's work - get increasingly unforgattable. And enjoyable.

If you weren't there, you might want to make a note of the next Rainbow of Music concert in Jerusalem about five months from now.