AROUND 160 people attended a concert in Bradford on Avon to mark the 100th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration.

‘Longing, Belonging and Balfour’ celebrated the Balfour Declaration (1917 – 2017), the momentous letter written by then-Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour, promising a homeland for the world’s Jewish people in Palestine.

The letter eventually would lead to the creation of the state of Israel, and to the violent and ongoing uprooting of the Palestinians from their native soil and their fight for their own homeland.

Last Friday, September 15, local charity Bradford on Avon Friends of Palestine launched its autumn season with a concert by renowned musical ensemble Chai For All.

Around 160 people converged into St Margaret’s Hall for a stimulating and entrancing evening of history, music, and storytelling.

‘Longing, Belonging and Balfour’ is the Chai For All Ensemble’s latest composition and performance. It is an evocative musical study of the Declaration’s history and continuing consequences as seen from Palestinian, Jewish/Israeli and British perspectives.

After an appearance at the Greenbelt Festival, the Bradford on Avon show was the first of a UK tour which will include York, Sheffield and London.