Paul Hayes introduces Serguei
Serguei in concert A good audience turned out on a cold evening to hear Serguei play for us. 
Returning to their Biblical homeland. Arriving in Israel circa 1948
Books were on sale after the concert. |
| | | Serguei Popov Concert - 24th February |
 St.
Mungo's church hall was filled with the sounds of classical,
traditional, and folk music from the violin of Serguei Popov on the
evening of Sunday 24th February. Paul Hayes was fortunate to secure the
date in Serguei's UK tour diary which started in Edinburgh and ends in
Brighton.
After setting up the sound ans vision system in the
Hall which, thanks to Graham McDonald and Andrew Dunsire, provided the
right balance between the recorded backing orchestra and Sergeui's
violin, we were able to welcome the audience to a night of superb
music.
After an introduction from Paul Hayes, explaining that
the evening was a celebration of Aliyah, the immigration of Jews to the
Holy Land of Israel, a Jewish aspiration since the Babylonian exile.
Since the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, more than 3
million Jews from over 90 countries have arrived to their homeland in
Israel.
Opening with a selection of classical pieces Serguei
then told us of his own background. He grew up in the former Soviet
Union, before settling eventually in Finland. He told us of his life
journey with God and his work with EZRA rescuing Jewish people from
danger and poverty, to help them return to Israel in fulfilment of
bible prophecy and restore their hope and quality of life by giving
them a new start in their Biblical homeland.
We are all on a
journey but how many of us know where we are going? Serguei related a
poignant story of a scientist on a train in 1970's Soviet Union. The
ticket collector as he walked through the train asked a scientist for
his ticket. After checking all his pockets and bags the scientist could
not find his ticket. The collector recognising the scientist said 'I
know who you are and please I know you will have a ticket, do not
worry', and moved on. Further down the carriage the collector looked
back and saw the scientist on his knees looking under the seats for his
ticket. 'I said it is ok I do not need to see your ticket' said the
collector, to which the scientist replied 'I need the ticket to find
out where I am going!' How true this can be.
 The
evening continued with more classical, traditional and folk music, with
videos including clips of his wife and daughter who support Serguei
with traditional and folk dancing on many of his tours in Russia and
America. His selection covered many of the periods of Jewish history,
both ancient and more recent including the holocaust to which Serguei
played the haunting and emotional theme from Schindler’s List.
 After
the concert over refreshments I talked to Serguei about his violin
which was made in 1776 in Venice Italy. The violin even has its own
passport. As Serguei explained it is not so much to get the violin into
a country but getting it back out! In some of the under developed third
world countries he visits the customs people can mistake the violin for
one of their national treasurers. 'You may have brought a worthless
violin into our country and taking our treasure back out', is a problem
that can occur. ' Having a passport for the violin solves that problem'
he said, as he showed me the document which has stamps from many
countries all over it, a testament to his travels both for Ezra and the
Moldova State Philharmonic and Moldova National Orchestras.
Thanks to the ladies who put on the tea, coffee and biscuit refreshments after the concert.
We wished Serguei well on his his tour through Britain and a safe journey home to Finland.
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