[HANASHIR:4765] Re: Instrumental music on Shabbat [was Re: Shabbat Shirah]

[Pamela Rothmann Sawyer <cantorpam...>]

Mitch,
As a Conservative cantor in a Reform shul (or rather, Reconformadox--we
are the only shul on an island), I have always felt more than a little
uncomfortable with instruments as part of the service. I am also an
instrumentalist. But I prefer a' capella for services. However, my shul
wants guitar, so on the opening and closing songs, I use guitar. They
seem happy with that. Rarely do I use additional instruments (although
on Yamim Nora'im they use an electronic organ). On Simchat Torah, I have
a group of my students, called "FreshKlez", playing for the Hakafot. The
congregation loves them and sings along with.


-- 
Cantor Pamela Rothmann Sawyer
Temple Israel
3183 Mecartney Rd.
Alameda, CA  94502
510-522-9355


Mitch Bassman wrote:
> 
> In her introduction to the current thread on Shabbat Shirah,
> At 01:40 PM 01/02/2000 -0800, Pamela Rothmann Sawyer wrote:
> >In my Reform
> >shul, we do use instruments for special occasions, such as this one.
> 
> This leads to a question that I've been thinking about a lot lately -- one
> that is about to be debated in the ("progressive conservative"
> [egalitarian]) congregation which I serve as a volunteer choir director. I
> don't want or intend to start a flame war, and I hope to see some serious
> response to my question. I'm trying to resolve my own position for the debate.
> 
> To what extent do those of you who are affiliated with Conservative
> synagogues use instrumental music on Shabbat? Although I grew up in a
> Conservative congregation that used an electric organ in the synagogue on
> Friday nights (but no longer does), the thought of doing that now with my
> current congregation makes me uncomfortable.
> 
> Like Adrian who wrote "I am an instrumentalist," I, too, am primarily an
> instrumentalist (and primarily a woodwind specialist). In general, I prefer
> instrumental music over vocal music, but "tradition" has led me to avoid
> using any instrumental music on erev Shabbat except on very few occasions
> and only during the Kabbalat Shabbat prayers. (I have personally played
> both flute and clarinet in the synagogue on Fridays during the spring and
> summer when the service begins prior to sundown. I also confess that I have
> no personal qualms about playing my own instruments in a secular setting --
> outside of a synagogue -- on Shabbat.)
> 
> On the other hand, there is a growing faction in my congregation that is
> encouraging occasionally having a Friday night "folk service" with guitars.
> (We had two folk services during 1999 led by a folk group that draws some
> members from my choir and some from outside of the choir; I attended
> neither service.) The current trend is quarterly, but I sense a movement to
> make it monthly. My current leaning personally is against this trend, and
> there is a substantial portion of our membership that will surely stay away
> from a service that is announced in advance to include instruments. On the
> other hand (and in this case there is still that other hand), there is that
> faction that wants it. In fact, our very wonderful
> (Reconstructionist-educated) rabbi, whom I generally support completely, is
> a part of that faction. Personally, I've decided to stay open to the
> possibility of accepting the trend and participating in it, but I haven't
> yet comes to terms with my own feelings.
> 
> I'm interested in comments -- both from the Conservative members of this
> list and from those who are from the Reform congregations that also avoid
> instrumental music in the synagogue on Shabbat. I hasten to add that I have
> absolutely no quarrel with those whose tradition openly accepts the use of
> instrumental music in the synagogue on Shabbat. The question is really what
> to do when a substantial portion of the membership does not have that
> tradition. (Also, the issue is about the Friday evening service only. Our
> Shabbat morning service is quite traditional.)
> 
> Eager for a flood of comments,
> Mitch Bassman
> 

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