[HANASHIR:9097] Re: wedding music & the organ

[Adrian Durlester <durleste...>]

And I will respond by tasking you to task on the matter of semantics.

Individual movements within Judaism may be choosing to ignore, reinterpret,
or declare irrelevant the halacha, but the halacha clearly prohibits the use
of instruments on Shabbat. That is not questionable, if you define our
religion as Judaism. When I play the piano or organ on Shabbat as a
professional synagogue musician I do so by a conscious choice but with full
recognition that it is a choice not in keeping with what the halacha says,
either about the use of instruments in the absence of the Beit Hamikdash, or
about prohibited categories of work. To do otherwise would be disingenuous.

Just because a practice is widespread doesn't mean it's OK. Lot's of people
still smoke cigarettes.

My two cents.

Adrian
Adrian A. Durlester. M.T.S.
http://members.home.net/durleste/
Judaic/Ivrit and Music Teacher-Akiva School, Nashville, TN
Music & Choir Director, Congregation Micah, Nashville, TN
Editor, Bim Bam, Torah Aura Productions, Los Angeles, CA
Evening Program Chair, CAJE 26, Aug 5-9, 2001, Colorado state University.


-----Original Message-----
From: owner-hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org [mailto:owner-hanashir (at) 
shamash(dot)org]On
Behalf Of Freedabet (at) aol(dot)com
Sent: Thursday, May 17, 2001 8:57 AM
To: durleste (at) home(dot)com; hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
Subject: [HANASHIR:9095] Re: wedding music & the organ


I will take you to task for something you said, but not for anything you
might have expected.

How can you say that 'our religion' prohibits the use of instruments on
Shabbat? Obviously, Orthodox do, but, otherwise, the use of instruments is
rather widespread on Shabbat and even more so on High Holy Days.

I think the objections to Organ are more the 'churchiness' that people
ascribe to the Organ sound, generally out of ignorance of how the Organ CAN
be used to great effect in the prayer services.  In the hands of a church
musician, it will often sound 'churchy' out of ignorance.  But, a good
instrument in the hands of a skilled synagogue musician (Jewish or not) can
be divine.

Michael

-------- REPLY, Original message follows --------

> Date: Wednesday, 16-May-01 12:13 AM
>
> From: Durlester, Adrian        \ Internet:    (durleste (at) home(dot)com)
> To:   Hanashir Mail Server     \ Internet:    (hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org)
>
> Subject:  [HANASHIR:9082] Re: wedding music & the organ
>
> Sender: owner-hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
> Reply-to:       hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
> To:     hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
> I know I'm gonna get clobbered for saying this, but say it I must:
>
> I think it can make a difference whether the person playing the organ (or
> the piano or digital keyboard, or guitar, or human voice, for that matter)
> is Jewish, has a Jewish soul, and understands the Hebrew in the original.
>
> There are far too few synagogue musicians out there like myself who are
both
> skilled musicians and have that Jewish neshoma that brings a certain
> "kavanah" to their playing that makes it work. (That, of course, is not
> entirely surprising since our religion prohibits the use of instruments in
> the synagogue on Shabbat. But times have changed and are changing.)
>
> Andy's comments are on the mark. And so are Cantor Contzius'. What you
don't
> play is often more important than what you do play. Less is often more.
> Musicians who are primarily soloists don't always have the skills or
> temperament or subtlety needed to accompany a cantor, a soloist, or an
> entire congregation. But I submit that knowing how much is enough, and
what
> styles to play, what tempo, dynamics, etc. is enhanced when a Jewish
> musician is the one playing. Being a skilled musician is not always
> enough-unless your only objective is a good, clean, solid musical
> performance, as opposed to a meaningful worship experience.
>
> Now I know that Cantor Contzius and others have probably had wonderful
> experiences with competent non-Jewish synagogue musicians. I have as well.
I
> employ non-Jewish "ringers" for my High Holidays choir. And, as an
> accomplished musician myself, I have great respect and admiration for
their
> musical skill. And I try to share with  them as much of my Jewish
knowledge
> as I can to help them bring their best to their performance. But it can
> never be more than a performance for them. A prayer is not about
> performance.
>
> I suspect many of my non-Jewish organist/pianist colleagues out there will
> not suffer for lack of work in churches as opposed to that extra synagogue
> gig, should there suddenly be an upsurge in competent Jewish synagogue
> musicians. So, from my mouth to Gd's ears, it should only happen....
>
> Adrian
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Adrian A. Durlester, M.T.S.  - adrian (at) durlester(dot)com
> http://www.durlester.com/
> Hebrew, Judaica & Music Instructor, Akiva School, Nashville TN
> Music Director, Congregation Micah, Nashville, TN
http://www.micahnash.org/
> List-Owner for hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org; Co-Owner for L-Torah (at) 
> shamash(dot)org
> http://uahc.org/hanashir
> Editor, Bim Bam (for Torah Aura Productions) http://www.torahaura.com/
> Evening Program Chair, CAJE 26, Aug. 5-9, 2001, Colorado State University
> Member-at-Large, CAJE Board of Directors
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: owner-hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org [mailto:owner-hanashir (at) 
> > shamash(dot)org]On
> > Behalf Of Marsha Fensin
> > Sent: Tuesday, May 15, 2001 6:08 PM
> > To: hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
> > Subject: [HANASHIR:9079] Re: wedding music & the organ
> >
> >
> > Hi all,
> >     I'm glad Erik said his few words about organs.  I have been shopping
> > for an appropriate instrument for my congregation for many months now,
and
> > have checked out Clavinovas, Kawai digital pianos, synthesizers,
> > keyboards--you name it, I have tried it out.  I was hoping to find one
> > instrument that could do it all. We needed something thast was as
> > versitile as possible, but still give us wonderful organ sounds when we
> > needed them.( My accompanist has his PhD in Organ performance and he
loves
> > doing music ministry ( his words) with organs.) Anyway, we ended up
> > getting a Rogers electronic organ with two manuals that has very sweet
> > organ sounds, AS WELL as a Midi interface that can sound like a piano
all
> > by itself as well as being able to mix the organ sounds with piano,
cello,
> > harp, oboe, etc.  I am in heaven.)
> >     I have found over the years that there can be a very "Jewish" way to
> > use an organ and there is also a way to encourage congregational singing
> > WITh an organ.
> >     Thanks Erik.
> > Marsha Fensin
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>
>

-------- REPLY, End of original message --------



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