- ...A thrilling concert. One of ardor, warmth, pleasure and excitement. Ranot is a total musical experience...
Zvi Avni, Composer,Tel-Aviv- ...A charming evening of amazing, original and luminous vast repertoire...
Jacob Rottblitt, song writer Tel Aviv- ...Truly superb material...Astounding performance...fabulous singing...A group of rare musical qualities and enjoyable choreography...
Dave Okoneff, Montreal Canada- ...Ranot is a remarkable, artistic body...The impressive and refined singing is manifested by the conductor’s original and brilliant arrangements...
Dr. Michael Volpe/ composer & conductor, Hebrew university/ Music Academy, Jerusalem- … You brought us deep emotions, quite close to tears, as we drank in musical and cultural bliss at Ranot’s concert in the church of Augusta Victoria in Jerusalem...
Duva & Sam Karia, Petah Tiqva
Critic, concert Jerusalem 15.5.2010
Tami Wolfsson Tel Aviv 17.5.2010
...You need to see and hear this in order to believe...: A concert featuring a vocal ensemble creates a sensory experience that is out of this world...The Ranot Vocal Ensemble led by the conductor, arranger and pianist Gideon Efrati gave a concert in the Church of the Redeemer in the Old City of Jerusalem on the 15thof May, leaving the vast audience speechless, wanting more and more. And this superb ensemble does not hail from one of Israel's major cultural centers but rather from Hevel Eilot in the Southern Arava!
The evening boasts a rare combination of a virtuoso conductor, who is also an excellent composer and arranger, with a group of singers who succeed in executing the different vocal pieces with a great deal of skill and confidence. The Ranot ensemble boasts an extremely expressive and precise vocal ability, the result of deep and intensive work over a long period of time. One is immediately struck by the rare beauty of their work and commitment–there is no doubt that they are Israel's leading vocal ensemble and certainly of world quality. During the singing, playing, and conducting, it was possible to sense the feeling of rapture that fell upon the place.
And the program–how much imagination and content, how much thought went into the musical and textual tapestry, which was constructed with forethought and sensitivity, accented with a directorial finesse which highlighted the entire experience (director: Iris Lana). The concert opened in an unconventional way, with a popular Hasidic tune with an excellent artistic arrangement by Gideon Efrati. It then progressed to a sparkling, sweeping A cappella arrangement of Desert by Hayim Hefer and Sasha Argov. Then, alongside classical vocal arrangements from the Renaissance and Romantic periods (Vittoria and Mendelssohn) with new and refreshing interpretations, we listened to wonderfully artistic vocal arrangements of music and texts from the traditions of various Israeli ethnic groups (Ladino, Yeminite, and Yiddish). A set of touching Shabbat songs led us to the powerful Tsion Tamati and then to an additional ethnic of To the Garden of Nuts. Afterwards we heard a surprising rendition of The Second Bird by Misha Segal and Papa Can You Hear Me from Yentl, sung very touching by the talented singer and performer Ronit Debowy. Finally, Bill Slott led the entire ensemble in a Gershwin song followed by an expressive rendition by the men's section of a song about the fall of the walls of Jericho.
We were then treated to another dramatic episode with the piece Chulum sung in its original Arabic with a beautiful, stylistic melody composed by Efrati, which began the exciting finale. The series concluded with The End of Days by Yehuda Amichai, which ended with the choir dispersed along the entire width of the church.
We were brought back to Gospel music with My Sweet Lord by George Harrison and two more A-Capella pieces which once more showed us this choir's excellent vocal ability, and also made optimum use of all of the spaces of the church, enveloping us all in holy sound.
Critics Germany
Berlin, Tempelhof
Dorothea Klassen, Church Bulletin, concert 4.7. 2010
...To say they sang touches only a fraction of what happened, that was way beyond singing. Psalms, ancient music, festive Shabat songs, love songs, and pieces from musicals: there were no limits to this choir. Extraordinary voices, charming choreography that used all aspects of the church...They brought forth gales of enthusiasm from the audience in the packed church...Kronach
Heike Schüler, Fränkischer Tag, concert 8.7.2010
...The choir, in its tour in Germany, brings us the magic of Israel, with the pristine views of mountains and reefs, and the whisper of the wind and the murmur of ancient history...From the first note oeuvres of impressive depth were heard. 25 songs expressing the big themes of humanity–faith, hope and love, were rendered with sensitivity and passion...The musical gift gave rise to a standing ovation by the immense crowd in the overflowing church...Hammelburg
Peter H. Mieke, Saale Zeitung, concert 7.7.2010
...It's hard to decide what was most impressive, the compact and homogeneous timbre, the enthralling expression and flawless intonation and rendition, or the look and the precise progression of an impressive and unassuming choreography and the spontaneous vibrant aura directed at the audience...Kitzingen
Local Paper, concert 8.7.2010
...Soloists, small ensembles and the whole choir gave authentic expression to arrangements of ancient gospels and Israeli songs in modern garb. There was also a wide array language-wise, as the guests from Israel sang the pieces in their original tongues, starting with Hebrew and Yiddish, through Latin and Italian, Ladino, English, French and German...The hall was filled with wondrous music when the members of the choir dispersed in all directions and enveloped the audience with the song Lecha Dodi, thus creating a direct connection with the audience. After this bonbon came another visual climax: in the piece Shalom Aleichem the women stood in the middle of the hall wearing angels' veils to bring musical tidings of praise to the Almighty...Tannhausen
Peter Voh, Local Paper, concert 12.7.2010
...What the audience in the fully packed house of prayer experienced was more than a wind–it was a desert whirlwind that swept through the church, and was only stopped periodically by the waves of applause of the enthusiastic audience. Whether it was old Jewish songs or Ave Maria, composed by Gideon Efrati, –the audience shivered in the midst of the heat of summer. It was simultaneously touching and exhilarating...It's no wonder, then, that the singers with the mighty voices and Gideon Efrati, their leader, had to give encores. The electrified audience let Ranot out into the summer night only after stormy applause and a standing ovation...
All For Love-November 9, 2013
- …Ranot knows how to throw a great party, and that’s what “All For Love” felt like last night! A great time was had by all.
Sharon Neria- Ranot’s “All For Love” is truly an enchanted evening. The musical level is amazing, the variety is fascinating, as is the original staging and elegant set design, all of which conveyed the spirit of the numbers in a palpable way.
Oded Regev, Upper Galilee- Ambitious program that delivered master showmanship: rich, creative, engaging, exciting…
Na’ama Alony, Yotvata,- “All For Love” displayed original and fascinating choice of material, complex and riveting arrangements, high-level delivery on the part of both the soloists and the ensemble as a whole, and staging that left us wanting more, and more…
Yehuda Raveh - Lawyer, Tel Aviv- “All For Love”: an unforgettable show! You reached the stars with powerful vocalists and arrangements, as well as stellar artistic direction.
Ron Eini, Tel Aviv