Kolit Ein Gedi: Gideon Efrati–musical director
Kolit Ein Gedi (KEG) is a chamber ensemble comprised of 15 vocalists who make their homes at Kibbutz Ein Gedi, on the shores of the Dead Sea, Earth’s lowest spot.
KEG is in its 35th year, and is sponsored by the Tamar Community Center. Gideon Efrati, KEG’s conductor and arranger, has returned after an eight-year hiatus.
KEG’s members are mostly retirees who have sung together for decades, refusing to give up on their passion for song, constituting a genuine challenge both for them and for Efrati.
Running the gamut from the authentic to the artistic, KEG’s repertoire includes Israeli classics newly arranged, gospel, and translated songs from all over the world.
Every year, KEG hosts selected vocal ensembles at Kol haRina [joyous voice], which will celebrate its 23rd anniversary in March 2013, and was conceived originally to honor the memories of Ein Gedi members Rina Mazor, Tzvi Horesh (who sang in KEG), and Bina Wagner, who died in a car accident in 1989.
Since then, Kol haRina has become an inextricable part of Israel’s vocal music landscape in which ensembles from all over the country take part, some returning year after year.
KEG also plays a major role in Ein Gedi’s holiday and other cultural events, as well as regionwide events.
