[HANASHIR:15251] Re: High Holy Day choices

[Rabbi Richard Schachet <lvrabbi...>]

I want to add sometying to Jack's comments-- 

Why are there 1400 people at High Holidays.  Because of the music (and I
hope something to do with the modern, non sexist, meaningful Machzor which
Rabbi Fisher of VOS and I of VOS Las Vegas) helped to write.

I dare say, VOS L.A. probably has, IMVHO the best music in the State of
California.

I remember when I first asked Jack to play Kol Nidre at our first service.
The only Kol Nidre he could find was Neil Diamond's from the Jazz Singer-- 
but suddenly, he rewote it and came up with a wonderful mood stirring
version of it.  The Cantorial soloist who sang it made your heart full and
your eyes weep.

But that wasn't enough for Jack. We sat with a past member of this group,
Joel Siegel who acted also as a Cantorial soloist, and went over music
popular to High Holidays.  Next thing I knew Jack came up with arrangments
fpr both Joel and our female soloist.  On Rosh HaShanah eve someone came up
to Jack and said "I play the flute-- if I can be of help just let me know."
The next day at Morning services Jack came in with arrangments for a number
of the traditional melodies.

Whewn I asked Jack to develop a choir he said, What do I know about Jewish
Choirs?  Well he knew a lot because their music is incredible.

A plug for Jack-- He has a CD out-- Write to him and get a copy of it.  Has
his original compositions as well as some tradional stuff.  And Jack is
generous in sharing his music.

When my new Cantor heard his CD he said to me "This guy is terrific."  He
really feels his music.

Do you need all the musicians etc for High Holidays?  No.. but it helps..

I think so much of his Cantor, and the Cantor's wife, that we are having
them to Las Vegas to have a joint concert wtih our musical staff.

December 6-- You, are of course, all invited.

This started out as a 2 sentence thing and look what happened.  My daughtetr
tells me I am considered very prolific..  on this discussion group.. and for
a guy who was a "mouther" in elementary school that's not bad.






----- Original Message ----- 
From: "jbielan" <jbielan (at) pacbell(dot)net>
To: <hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org>
Sent: Wednesday, September 03, 2003 9:45 AM
Subject: [HANASHIR:15249] Re: High Holy Day choices


> So often this list is a valuable resource for learning about other
people's
> perspectives.  This latest strain on High Holiday music is another perfect
> example, and I just want to say "thanks again" to Adrian for maintaining
it.
>
> Here at Valley Outreach Synagogue in L.A., like all of you, we've been
hard
> at work - rehearsing the choir, making choices of settings, writing
> arrangements, etc.
> I'm in my 19th year, and I'm in a situation for which I'm very grateful.
>
> Our cantor, Ron Li-Paz,  has a world-class voice.  He is often flown to
> Europe to sing leads in major operas.  His wife, Bronwen, was a major
> performer a few years ago in the West End -England's version of Broadway -
> and she also has an absolutely exquisite voice.  The congregation pretty
> much gives us carte blanche to venture into any musical territories we see
> fit, and we treat that sacred trust accordingly.
>
> At our High Holiday service, we try to combine several elements.  Ron has
a
> warm, loving, wonderfully knowledgeable demeanor about him, and goes out
of
> his way to explain the meaning of many of the prayers. Our musical styles
> vary.  At the opening of a service, we may start out with a nigun to
> encourage people to sing along when they feel so motivated.  Prayers like
> Max's "Aveinu Malkenu" are done in broad, traditional ensemble style,
> featuring Cantor, Choir and instruments.  By contrast, this year Debbie's
> "Sh'ma V'ahavta" is going to be sung by a group of six young adults
(average
> age 16-17) who each have beautiful voices. At other times, we'll do the
> traditional, grand "Sh'ma" melody.  At another point, Ron, Bronwen and our
> pro tenor and our pro soprano (whom we privately call our "Kiddush
Quartet")
> will sing a beautiful a'cappella setting of  "Adonai, Adonai".   We'll use
> my setting of "Un'tahneh Tokef" with myself on piano, Bronwen soloing and
a
> flugelhorn; and we'll do Stephen Richards' exquisite "Ritzei" with its
> subtle triplet feel.  "Kol Nidre" will be appropriately stark - organ
> accompanying Cantor and Choir.
>
> Bottom line: we try to vary the approach.  In the end, music is, of
course -
> art - and art appreciation is subjective.  We all know that some
congregants
> will respond more to traditional classical settings, while others respond
to
> more contemporary, varied musical approaches.  My humble opinion is that
> part of our job is to aid in really and truly inspiring people to think
> about what the High Holidays are all about - and if our specific toolbox
is
> music, we should use whatever tools we feel will be appropriate to
> accomplish that goal.
>
> Certainly we don't want to put on a show - and if I'm honest, I'm sure
that,
> were some of the esteemed people who participate in this list to see one
of
> our services, they might disagree with some of our approach. As we speak,
I
> am in the midst of altering some of the arrangements to accomodate the
> string quartet which we are going to utilize this year along keyboards,
plus
> a guitarist and flutist. For some, that simply may be too over the top -
and
> who's to say they're right or wrong?  However, for the last ten years
we've
> continually had in excess of 1,400 people attend High Holidays, and
besides
> the regulars, we often see many of those faces  attending  various Shabbat
> services during the year.
>
> The question I would respectfully ask is this: if we make musical choices
> which leave congregants unaffected and apathetic, are we really doing the
> job for which we were chosen?.  We all know that music has the ability to
> move the soul, and if High Holidays is about soul-searching, we have some
> pretty powerful tools at our disposal.
>
> My criteria is simple: when I look out at the congregation from the bimah,
> if I see families holding on to each other... if I see tears in people's
> eyes from time to time.. if I see people standing-up at some points, arms
> over each other's shoulders, swaying with the music and singing along in
> tribute to God and saying prayers from our heritage... if I see that look
of
> warm familiarity from older members when we do traditional melodies...if I
> see some little sense of awe in people's faces because they are
overwhelmed
> with the majesty of a particular setting... and when I see Ron explaining
> the practical application of the lesson of a particular prayer and the
> collective nods of recognition and understanding... I figure we're doing
our
> job.
>
> By the way, between morning and afternoon services on Yom Kippur, we host
a
> Twelve-Step Gratitude Meeting.  Participants who live with addictions of
all
> catgegories on a one-day-at-a-time basis come to listen and share at this
> meeting, which Rabbi Schachet initiated about a dozen years ago. The
typical
> attendance has grown to about three hundred people, and year after year, I
> am moved to tears listening to people share how they've returned to
Judaism,
> and how the music at our services helped draw them back into a renewed
> relationship with their heritage.
>
> I respectfully submit that we dare not offer music which will render
apathy.
> The opportunities are far too great.
>
> Jack Bielan
>
>
>
>
>
>

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