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[HANASHIR:10773] re: role of the volunteer choir
- From: H & R Shubert <notfranz...>
- Subject: [HANASHIR:10773] re: role of the volunteer choir
- Date: Wed 30 Jan 2002 19.20 (GMT)
Hi Sharon,
Thanks for sharing your choir's successful beginning with us. I found it
particularly interesting to learn that you place the choir in the back rows.
When I first formed the choir I direct I proposed the possibility of
sitting/standing in the congregation and singing, but a number of the choir
members felt they preferred the notoriety and presence of being on the bimah.
Rachelle
----- Original Message -----
From: Sharon Steinberg
To: hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
Sent: Tuesday, January 29, 2002 10:09 AM
Subject: [HANASHIR:10746] re: role of the volunteer choir
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. </DIV>
> <DIV> </DIV>
> <DIV>I have settled on a "mixed bag" approach. I love and
respect
> Lewandowski, Sulzer, Janowski and others, and always include these
melodies in
> my service music choices but at the same time enjoy bringing in
Taubman,
> Klepper, Friedman, Zim and all you other talented composers on the
list.
> There's room in a service for participation and also for listening to
inspiring
> "performance pieces". I think the new melodies shed a new light on
the
> prayers, keep the service fresh and can provide an open door to
younger
> people. Since we only "perform" once monthly, this leaves the
cantor free
> to choose more traditional music on other weeks. It's a nice
> balance. </DIV>
> <DIV> </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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