Zimria Festivale Atlanta – ‘Hope and Remembrance’

Zimria Festivale Atlanta, an ensemble of the William Baker Choral Foundation, was established in 2014 as a chorus dedicated to the study and performance of music by Jewish composers and the rich heritage of Jewish tradition. Zimria continues that dedication to the mission, but has been re-imagined in 2026 to be a professional chorus that performs choral music of Jewish Heritage with professional orchestra & soloists. Their first concert, ‘Hope and Remembrance’ at the Ahavath Achim Synagogue will be the first in a series of planned events in the coming year.

You can expect to hear a broad range of selections on the program that spans centuries, religious traditions, countries, languages, liturgical uses, and changing popular styles of music. Liturgical selections range from familiar to rarely heard in the United States (both Ashkenazic and Sephardic traditions), and are based on biblical texts and themes. The time range of works vary from as early as the 1600’s to the present.

The ‘Hope and Remembrance’ program includes baroque era liturgical selections, sung in Vienna and Amsterdam Synagogues; and two contemporary liturgical compositions by Amy Thropp, emeritus conductor of Zimria and choir director of Synagogue Beth Shalom in Dunwoody, GA, including a spiritual- based interpretation of the “Sh’ma” and the premiere of a modernized “Adon Olam”.

Also, on the program are contemporary and Holocaust themed works, including “Songs of the Holocaust” arranged by Atlanta-based William W. Dreyfoos, inspired by poetry and tunes originating from the Ghettos of Poland, 1937 – 1943. This incredible work is sung in Yiddish with soprano soloist, Margaret Kelly Clark and accompanied by a gypsy style violin. In addition, the ensemble will perform a work by Chicago-based composer, Ed Frazier Davis titled ‘My Beloved Spoke,’ based on lyrics from the Song of Songs.

Popular works from Broadway and the movies by 20th century Jewish American composers will round out the program with a brief collection of beautiful songs of the Jewish baroque period in 1700’s Amsterdam, performed by soprano Margaret Kelly Cook and Cantor Tracey Scher from The Temple accompanied by piano and violoncello. Zimria celebrates the heritage of Jewish music by performing multiple languages of Yiddish, Hebrew, and English. We hope you will join us for this celebration of Jewish song in Atlanta.

A performance of Handel’s Judas Maccabaeus is being scheduled for the winter of 2026/27 and a performance of the magnificent Avodath Hakodesh (Sacred Service) of Ernest Bloch is planned for March 7, 2027 at The Temple in Atlanta. Dr. William Baker, the founder of the Choral Foundation, will serve as the Music Director and Conductor for this and future events.

The Choral Foundation currently sponsors more than a dozen performing ensembles in five states, including five in metro Atlanta. It has a long history of championing the music of Jewish composers and lyricists, and music of Jewish heritage, notably including a 2012 performance of Ernest Bloch’s “Avodath Hakodesh” (Sacred Service) to celebrate the rededication of the organ at The Temple.