An amazing story of the Holocaust. Told without words.

News release
Date March 26, 2017
From horror to hope in
2017 – reviving Holocaust memories through the power of music'''
On
May 28, a specially-created concert band will perform a new version of an
almost-lost symphony that recounts one man’s journey from horror to hope during
the Holocaust. Composer Leo Spellman’s Rhapsody 1939-1945 offers a haunting
musical view of one of the most traumatic eras in human history. 
The
rhapsody was written in three sections. The first thunders with the terrifying
clamour and chaos of war. The second recedes into the endless depths of
suffering, while the third and final section captures the promise of hope and
the unassailable human spirit.
After
emigrating to Toronto following the war, Leo tucked his composition away in a
suitcase, where it stayed for over 60 years. Unfortunately, upon rediscovering
his “forgotten” composition in 2002, Leo realized he was missing parts of the
score. In 2010, he enlisted the help of Toronto musician Paul Hoffert, and the
pair successfully re-assembled the piece, adding some of Leo’s grandfather’s
songs into the arrangement. Hoffert conducted the 2012 world premiere of the
completed work at the the Ashkenaz Festival in Toronto. And yes, Leo was in the
audience!
Leo
passed away less than three months after this premiere, and the challenge now
is to keep his music, and his important testimony, alive. In 2015, a mutual
friend introduced Gary Martin to Paul Hoffert, and Gary has spent the last year
re-arranging Rhapsody for concert band, with the goal of sharing the music to
the widest possible audience.
The
new arrangement, approximately 25 minutes long, will be premiered on May 28 at
3 p.m. at St. Paul's Basilica, 83 Power St, Toronto. The performance will be
videotaped and distributed widely to ensure this powerful music remains
available for future generations.
“This
was a labour of respect,” said arranger Gary Martin. “It’s about respecting the
legacy of Leo Spellman and all other Holocaust survivors, and sharing a vision
of hope in the most universal language of all – music.”
The
project includes a Kickstarter campaign to cover the costs of paying the
performers and recording the concert. For more information about the music or
to support the campaign, go to   https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/113946503/an-amazing-story-of-the-holocaust-told-without-wor
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Media
contact: 
Gary
Martin
416
622 0825
r7sharp11@gmail.com