First transcribed in 1915 as a song without words, Hava Nagila became phenomenally popular in the version with Hebrew words by Avraham Zvi Idelsohn. David Eddleman’s virtuosic arrangement mixes the familiar Hebrew text with his own English version. The ponderous opening, with pronounced middle eastern overtones, sets the stage for the driving rhythms and ever accelerating tempo to come. The brilliant vocal and piano writing of this selection will leave everyone in the hall breathless.