Francine Trester

Voice, Alto Saxophone, Violin, and Piano

Composer's Note:

Neshot Hayil (Women of Valor) is a cycle of three songs for mezzo-soprano, alto sax, violin and piano commissioned by saxophonist Kenneth Radnofsky. The composition premiered at New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall in 2024 and is based on Jewish texts that honor women. Violet Gilboa Radnofsky, curator of the Harvard Judaica Division at Harvard University Library, chose the three texts of Neshot Hayil. In the program notes from the premiere, Radnofsky writes: “The first song in the cycle, ‘Ya Ribon Olam,’ was written in Aramaic by Rabbi Yisrael Nag’arah, a poet in Gaza, in 1628. It is sung on Shabbat. The second, ‘Shir Lama’alot,’ written by King David, about 3000 years ago, asks help from God at a time when the Jewish people were in horrific pain during war in Gaza. And the third, ‘Eshet Hayil’ was written by King Solomon in the Book of Proverbs, is also from about 3000 years ago, and perhaps the first text about feminism and honoring women. All three poems have been sung or chanted in prayers around the world by Jews (both Ashkenazim and Sephardim) from the time they were written and up through today.”