Congregation Adath Jeshurun is celebrating the 40th Anniversary of its annual Music Festival on Sunday, March 13, 2011 at 7:00 pm.

“Gematria: Treasures of Jewish Music” will feature Louisville’s own Voces Novae: A Choral Renaissance, celebrating its 18th Anniversary, and returning for the third time as the Festival’s featured performer. The 2011 AJ Music Festival is underwritten for the ninth consecutive year by the Adolf and Sara van der Walde and Israel Rosenbloum Charitable Fund. In 2010, the Music Festival attracted over 700 people from the community and tickets for this year’s festival are expected to sell quickly.

Members of the Louisville Orchestra, past and present, will be playing the World Premiere of a new piece by local composer Jeremy Beck. The piece is inspired by the poem “Each of Us Has a Name” by the Israeli poet Zelda. Children from both the Jewish and secular communities will be invited to create artwork also inspired by this poem which will be displayed, if accepted, during the dessert reception. In addition there will be a regional premiere by the choir of a work written for the new Conservative High Holiday prayer book, Mahzor Lev Shalem.

Adath Jeshurun’s own Cantor David Lipp, who collaborates often with well-known local artists, will perform with assistance from his colleague, Cantor Sharon Hordes, as well as the combined Junior and Adult Choirs comprised of singers from local synagogues. From synagogue to soul, Jerusalem to jazz, Renaissance to rock, the festival will cover a broad spectrum of Jewish musical repertoire.

Gematria, the name of the concert, refers to the Jewish system of numerology in which the number 40 often refers to a generation and 18 to life.

Tickets will NOT be mailed. Tickets will be distributed at Will-Call on the evening of the Music Festival. Those purchasing on the internet may use their printed tickets as entry into the concert.