The Liturgical Festival returns to its home in Nazareth, spreading the beauty and warmth of the holiday spirit through music. Now in its 7th edition, the festival will take place from December 18 – 20, 2025. Concerts will take place at the Salesian Church (Basilica of Jesus the Adolescent) on the north-west hill, overlooking the city, and at the Anglican Church in Nazareth, known for its architecture and acoustics. The festival is the flagship event of the Polyphony Foundation, which aims to dissolve the barriers and create connections between the different religions and cultures in Israel through music.
Nabil Abboud Ashkar, Executive Director of the Polyphony Foundation and Director of the Liturgical Festival stated: “In these times it is of great importance let the voice of harmony and brotherhood be heard. Polyphony works throughout the year to educate musicians and audiences in the art of listening and communication. The Liturgical Festival, through a unique musical experience, seeks to strengthen the ties of collaboration within Israeli society in all its diversity in the hope for a better year, filled with harmony, aesthetics, and brotherhood.”
The festival will open on December 18th with a concert conducted by Guy Feder, Artistic Consultant of the festival, with the participation of the Galilee Orchestra and the Polyphony Vocal Ensemble who will perform two Christmas compositions that bring a feeling of past and present – the Christmas Oratorio by Camille Saint-Saëns, which premiered in 1858, and Benjamin Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols which was composed in 1942.
Among the many concerts to look forward to over this musical weekend is “Echoes of Hope” that will take place on Saturday morning at the Anglican Church. The “Ruach” (spirit – “רוח روح” ) ensemble of ten young Arab and Jewish flautists who hail from Nazareth, Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Jerusalem, will perform a range of classic works from Bach to Fairuz, in new arrangements full of warmth and joy.
The full program and ticket information is available on the Liturgical Festival website.
