Susan Jean Hellman, a 1997 Duluth East High alumna, is coming home for a concert that will showcase her talent and her faith.
The Arrowhead Chorale is presenting "Judaism Sings," and Hellman, who will be the featured soprano, said she is very excited to be singing with people she grew up watching.
"The music in this concert is very personal and very important," said Hellman, who is Jewish and recently earned her master's degree from the College-Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati.
"It will be very different to sing this music in a concert setting instead of a religious setting," Hellman said.
"Judaism Sings" will be held at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 26, in Weber Music Hall at the University of Minnesota Duluth and Sunday, at Beth El Synagogue in St. Louis Park.
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It is the first time that the Arrowhead Chorale has done a concert of this nature.
Stanley Wold, conductor and artistic director of the chorale, said the concert features a wide variety of music from all across the Jewish experience.
"The concert starts with music from the liturgy -- the third part of Bloch's Sacred Service. We then move in to music from the Holocaust. In the second part of the concert, we are doing some folksy/dance songs," said Wold.
The repertoire for the concert includes everything from Schubert to modern Janowski, and Wold said that community cantors, musical leaders in a Jewish service, will be joining the chorale for portions of the concert.
In the Twin Cities, two cantors, a choir, conductor and pianist will all join the Arrowhead Chorale in "Judaism Sings."
"A Child's Journey," the section of the concert devoted to the Holocaust, is exceptionally poignant
"The first time we (the choir) sight read it through ... people were in tears," Wold said.
The instruments featured will be clarinet and tuba. The clarinetist, UMD professor of music Ted Shoen, played with the Atlanta Opera Orchestra and is presently with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra.
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Cantor Yvon F. Shore, director of Liturgical Art and Music at the Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, said the concert looked to be extremely full, artistic and beautiful. Shore is Hellman's mentor and guided her in selecting her solo pieces for "Judaism Sings."
"Wow! A killer concert," said Shore.
The concert has been a long time coming. The chorale had actually planned to do a concert of Jewish music over a year ago, but due to some complications, had to put it off.
"We were really fortunate that Susan (Hellman) could still fit us in," said Wold.
The goal of the concert is to open the audience up to a brand new appreciation of the music coming from the Jewish community.
"The music has helped us to honor and get a sense of a tradition we don't know a lot about," said Wold.
After the UMD performance, the next performances will be Sunday, Feb. 27, at United Theological Seminary in New Brighton at 3 p.m. and in St. Louis Park at Beth El Synagogue at 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices are $12 for adults, $6 for students and $3 for children. Call 733-7521 to order.
