[HANASHIR:9916] Re: music for "Holiday" concerts in public schools

[Judah Cohen <jcohen...>]

Meryl,

    There's some really good stuff out there, but I would particularly
suggest 
    Steve Barnett, arr. "Arise and Be Free:  A Suite for Chanukah"
Transcontinental 991292-991295.  ("S'vivon" seems to be a favorite)
    Eliot Z. Levine, arr. "Al Hanissim"  Shadow Press SP 101.  (212)
228-8159.
    Then there's the H. C. Adler/Benedetto Marcello "Maoz Tsur" (originally
"By the Waters of Babylon," which in turn was originally a melody to "Maoz
Tsur").  I have the sheet music somewhere, but I don't know where it's
published.
    A. W. Binder also has a nice, rather chromatic a cappella arrangement of
the "tried and true" Maoz Tsur that might fit the bill nicely.  Again, I'll
have to look for that.
    I also have an a cappella arrangement of the "Lonely Jew on Christmas"
song from the "Mr. Hankie" episode of South Park, as well as "college humor"
a cappella arrangement of Tayku's arrangement of "I Have a Little Dreidel"
(I entitle mine "Dreidel Doo-Wop") if you're interested.  But it sounds as
though you might wish to step a little more lightly than that in this
situation. . .

Good luck!
Judah.
    

> From: "Meryl Weiner" <gweiner (at) erols(dot)com>
> Reply-To: hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
> Date: Mon, 24 Sep 2001 16:22:16 -0400
> To: <hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org>
> Subject: [HANASHIR:9913] Re: music for "Holiday" concerts in public schools
> 
> Dear Friends,
> 
> I have been quietly doing battle with my daughter's public high school for
> years.  I live in Northern Virginia where "Holiday" concerts are the norm
> around Christmas time.  What that means in our school is that the auditorium
> is decorated for Christmas with perhaps a hanukkiah displayed.  The
> selection of music runs from Christmas carols to extremely religious
> Christian music. Usually one "Jewish" song is included to commemorate
> Hanukkah.  I have made some headway over the years. 2 years ago they hired a
> choir director who believed that singing about Jesus was mandatory so the
> students would come to understand and believe in Jesus.  He no longer works
> in our county!  But this year, even after giving the new choir director a
> stack of appopriate multi-cultural selections having to do with peace and
> winter, etc.  with no religious overtones at all, she chose a piece of music
> about Shabbat (it has Hebrew words so it must be appropriate for Hanukkah!)
> to have my daughter's choir sing along with mostly Christmas music.
> 
> My request for the list is this:  I need suggestions for advanced 4 part,
> accapella Hanukkah music.  The choir director is willing to look at other
> music I suggest so please send me suggestions ASAP.  I need titles and
> publishers.
> 
> Thanks so much.
> 
> Shana Tova,
> Meryl Weiner
> Temple Micah
> 2829 Wisconsin Avenue, NW
> Washington, DC   20007
> gweiner (at) erols(dot)com
> 202-342-9175
> ----- Original Message -----

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