[HANASHIR:10746] re: role of the volunteer choir

[Sharon Steinberg <cantorshar...>]

Dear Friends,

I have just begun a new position, and the choir, under my direction, sang at 
Shabbat services for the first time this past Friday.  As an experiment, I 
placed the choir in the midst of the congregation (in the back two rows).  For 
the most part, they sang prayer settings that were the normal minhag (but they 
sang them in harmony).  It was my hope that this would make non-choir 
congregants feel more comfortable in singing out -- it worked.  In addition to 
the chants and very singable and well-known settings, I programmed Oseh Shalom 
(Ben Steinberg) and R'tsei (Steven Richards) which are more meditative.  I also 
have a flute player in the choir...so we did Michael Isaacson's Bayom hahu.  
The congregational response was wonderful....

On a slightly different subject, a friend told me about Temple Micah's (in 
Washington, DC) special Shabbat Shirah service last Friday.  (Teddy Klaus and 
Meryl Weiner, are you on HaNashir to tell more than what I heard?)  They did 10 
settings of Mi Chamocha -- one with adult choir, one with guitar, one with 
children's choir, one with Klezmer band, one with percussion only, one 
unaccompanied, etc.  I heard it was incredible -- what a creative idea!!!!
  
 B'shalom,
Sharon Steinberg
----- Original Message -----
From: Edward Katz
Sent: Tuesday, January 29, 2002 12:09 AM
To: hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
Subject: [HANASHIR:10735] re: role of the volunteer choir
  
Speaking as a volunteer member of a semi-professional synagogue choir, which 
sings at every Shabbat and Holiday service (except mid-summer and mid-winter), 
I think there are times when the presence of the choir can be overwhelming. At 
Shaare Zion, there are certain prayers which are reserved for the congregation; 
others seem to be reserved for the choir, and we generally have several 
versions from which to choose.

When we sing, there is no sound from the congregation; we are in a concert 
situation. Although it is quite flattering for us to know that the congregation 
is concentrating on our every note, those members of the congregation who are 
not used to the power of the choir may be intimidated, and inhibited from 
responding. Surely there must be a happy medium somewhere.


Edward Katz, M.D.
Shaare Zion Congregation Choir, Montreal












On Mon, 28 January 2002, "H & R Shubert" wrote:

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> <DIV>This is a discussion which interests me in particular because I direct 
> our
> Temple's volunteer choir and so much of my work is choosing melodies out of 
> the
> amazing number of choices we now have.&nbsp; </DIV>
> <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
> <DIV>I have settled on a "mixed bag" approach.&nbsp;&nbsp; I love and respect
> Lewandowski, Sulzer, Janowski and others, and always include these melodies in
> my service music choices&nbsp;but at the same time enjoy bringing in Taubman,
> Klepper, Friedman, Zim and all you other talented composers on the list.&nbsp;
> There's room in a service for participation and also for listening to 
> inspiring
> "performance pieces".&nbsp; I think the new melodies shed a new light on the
> prayers, keep the&nbsp;service fresh and can provide an open door to younger
> people.&nbsp; Since we only "perform" once monthly, this leaves the cantor 
> free
> to choose more traditional music on other weeks.&nbsp; It's a nice
> balance.&nbsp; </DIV>
> <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
> <DIV>Rachelle Shubert</DIV>
> <DIV>Lay Cantor Rishon, Temple Israel, Ottawa<BR>Choral Director, Kol Ha 
> Neshama
> Choir, Temple Emanu-El-Beth Sholom, Montreal<BR>Music Educator, Hebrew
> Foundation School, Dollard des Ormeaux</DIV></BODY></HTML>


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