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[HANASHIR:1433] Re: HANASHIR digest 339
- From: Susan Schanerman <sschanerman.dvh...>
- Subject: [HANASHIR:1433] Re: HANASHIR digest 339
- Date: Tue 06 Oct 1998 19.50 (GMT)
Does anyone have the words to "I'm a little torah"?
Jewish Songleading/Music wrote:
> HANASHIR Digest 339
>
> Topics covered in this issue include:
>
> 1) Instrumental music
> by "Carol Leon" <cbleon (at) hotmail(dot)com>
> 2) choirsvs.organs
> by nana lister <nlister (at) trib(dot)net>
> 3) Bridging the gap
> by Rachelle Mingail Shubert <shubert (at) total(dot)net>
> 4) Re: Bridging the gap
> by Judy Caplan Ginsburgh <jerd (at) centuryinter(dot)net>
> 5) Organs and Choirs
> by "Adrian A. Durlester" <durleste (at) home(dot)com>
> 6) need music
> by Judy Caplan Ginsburgh <jerd (at) centuryinter(dot)net>
> 7) Re: need music
> by "Carol Leon" <cbleon (at) hotmail(dot)com>
> 8) Re: need music
> by ALICEWINE (at) aol(dot)com
> 9) RE: Bridging the gap
> by Janet(dot)PAPE (at) oecd(dot)org
> 10) Re: need music
> by Felsings (at) aol(dot)com
> 11) RE: Bridging the gap
> by Rebeccafhp (at) aol(dot)com
> 12) RE: Bridging the gap
> by Janet(dot)PAPE (at) oecd(dot)org
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Subject: [HANASHIR:1419] Instrumental music
> Date: Mon, 05 Oct 1998 10:38:17 PDT
> From: "Carol Leon" <cbleon (at) hotmail(dot)com>
> To: hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
>
> My 2 cents: I feel fortunate that my synagogue has few restrictions on
> the use of musical instruments during services. While upon its founding
> it was decided there would definitely not be an organ, and the piano is
> used mainly to accompany the choirs and student groups that sing rather
> than accompanying the congregation, we've heard flute and clarinet and
> viola and -- ready for this? -- saxophone! Yes, during the reading of
> the names of those who died during the past year at the Yom Kippur
> Yizkor service, my husband played Avinu Malkeinu on the sax (while I
> played piano). It's an incredibly emotional instrument, even better
> than the clarinet he's played in the past. Our Kol Nidre service opens
> with 2 adults playing it on viola and piano, and the children's Yom
> Kippur service has kids on the same instruments playing an abbreviated
> version of it. Guitar has been used extensively during services, too.
> While the absolute sincerity of singing a capella is wonderful, so are
> the occasional instrumental additions to our services. -- Carol
>
> >Date: Mon, 05 Oct 1998 00:04:14 -0500
> >From: Judy Caplan Ginsburgh <jerd (at) centuryinter(dot)net>
> >To: hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
> >Subject: [HANASHIR:1417] Re: Congregational Choirs
> >Reply-To: hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
> >
> >Rachelle,
> >
> >I have a volunteer choir comprised of congregants at my synagogue.
> None of
> >them reads music. It is amazing how truly good they sound (a tribute
> to those
> >who came before me) and how much they can add to the participation
> level of the
> >service. We try to rehearse once a week. There are about 15 diligent
> >members. I am very careful to always pitch melodies in a comfortable
> range.
> >Our organ is a transposing one and of course guitar can be played in
> any key.
> >We do unison singing, rounds and two and four part harmonies.
> >
> > During the service, the choir sits in the first few rows. Having them
> >participate definitely encourages others in the congregation to sing
> along.
> >They are never told they cannot sing on anything. We do discuss that
> certain
> >portions of melodies lend themselves more to a solo voice and discuss
> where it
> >may be appropriate for the choir to join in.
> >
> >Having spent most of my life being a solo singer, this choral
> experience is
> >something I was not sure of. But I must say -- there is nothing more
> spiritual
> >than looking out into your congregation and seeing smiling faces
> singing in
> >full voice and spirit with you. This is what being a cantor or soloist
> is
> >traditionally all about. It is not to show off our own voices, but
> rather to
> >lead the congregation in the sweet melodies of our heritage. When I
> hear our
> >choir sing along and hear other congregants join in, I know that G-d is
> truly
> >in our house of worship.
> >
> >Judy : )
> >
> >--
> >Judy Caplan Ginsburgh, Award-winning Singer/Music Specialist
> >
> http://www.ax.centuryinter.net/jewishentertainment/judy/index.html
> >Director: Jewish Entertainment Resources
> > http://www.ax.centuryinter.net/jewishentertainment/index.html
> >Cantorial Soloist, Touro Synagogue, New Orleans, LA
> >Past Conference Chair: 23rd Conference on Alternatives in Jewish
> Education
> >
>
> ______________________________________________________
> Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Subject: [HANASHIR:1420] choirsvs.organs
> Date: Mon, 05 Oct 1998 12:46:54 -0700
> From: nana lister <nlister (at) trib(dot)net>
> To: hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
>
> I just got back to our ongoing hanashir after a week's absence and
> can't wait to add my 2 cents worth. I grew up in the 30's in a big
> German Reform Temple with a BIG pipe organ and a professional non Jewish
> Quartet. I thought the music was wonderful! Much Lewandowski and
> Protestant sounding stuff. Having never been to a church service, I
> didn't get a churchy feeling from it. However, when I moved to Missouri
> in the late 60's I attended the only game in town, a mixed congregation
> at Hillel, with no instrumental music and the worst congregational
> singing in the world. Did you people realize that there are at least 35
> keys to be sung at the same time! Eventually we had a Rabbi who played
> guitar on Friday night, when the group was mostly reform, but not on
> Saturday morning when the more orthodox leaning people came. We now
> have a group of about 8 "singers" who "performed" this year for the HH
> days and we do have audience response on those songs that are well
> known. Angela Gold leads us now on Friday night with her guitar and
> lovely voice, but we don't know what we will do once she leaves. Our
> building does not have a piano, to say nothing of an organ. I really
> feel that if a keyboard instrument, be it organ, piano or synthesizer is
> played with restraint, it would give scared congregants an anchor to
> hold on to, or at least find the key. I guess, now that I have been to
> HN, I want our congregation to sound as good as we did at camp. Nana
> Lister
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Subject: [HANASHIR:1421] Bridging the gap
> Date: Mon, 05 Oct 1998 13:46:02
> From: Rachelle Mingail Shubert <shubert (at) total(dot)net>
> To: hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
>
> The idea of placing the volunteer choir in the front two rows of the
> synagogue is an interesting idea which never occurred to me. Thanks, Judy.
> I was thinking of placing the choir on the bima, conducting them for the
> first verse or through the song once and then turning to the congregation
> and conducting or playing guitar for the subsequent verses/repetitions. I
> would have thought choristers would feel that they should really be on the
> bima after all the time put in to rehearsals. Any thoughts on that?
>
> Rachelle
>
> Rachelle Mingail Shubert
>
> CONCERTS
> CLASSES
> CONSULTING
>
> shubert (at) total(dot)net
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Subject: [HANASHIR:1422] Re: Bridging the gap
> Date: Mon, 05 Oct 1998 14:55:42 -0500
> From: Judy Caplan Ginsburgh <jerd (at) centuryinter(dot)net>
> To: hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
>
> Rachelle,
>
> I think most professionals would like to be on the bima, but most volunteer
> choirs would not on a continuing basis. They will have one or two chances a
> year to "perform" some pieces for the congregation. This is the appropriate
> time for them to be on the bima or facing the congregation. They are very
> content to sit as a group and sing what we have rehearsed in order to
> encourage
> the whole congregation to sing. 12 years ago, they were told not to sing and
> had to listen to a cantor who performed. Believe me, they are thrilled to
> have
> rehearsals and have the opportunity to raise their voices in song no matter
> where they sit.
>
> Judy : )
>
> Rachelle Mingail Shubert wrote:
>
> > The idea of placing the volunteer choir in the front two rows of the
> > synagogue is an interesting idea which never occurred to me. Thanks, Judy.
> > I was thinking of placing the choir on the bima, conducting them for the
> > first verse or through the song once and then turning to the congregation
> > and conducting or playing guitar for the subsequent verses/repetitions. I
> > would have thought choristers would feel that they should really be on the
> > bima after all the time put in to rehearsals. Any thoughts on that?
> >
> > Rachelle
> >
> > Rachelle Mingail Shubert
> >
> > CONCERTS
> > CLASSES
> > CONSULTING
> >
> > shubert (at) total(dot)net
>
> --
> Judy Caplan Ginsburgh, Award-winning Singer/Music Specialist
> http://www.ax.centuryinter.net/jewishentertainment/judy/index.html
> Director: Jewish Entertainment Resources
> http://www.ax.centuryinter.net/jewishentertainment/index.html
> Cantorial Soloist, Touro Synagogue, New Orleans, LA
> Past Conference Chair: 23rd Conference on Alternatives in Jewish Education
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Subject: [HANASHIR:1423] Organs and Choirs
> Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1998 16:38:35 -0500
> From: "Adrian A. Durlester" <durleste (at) home(dot)com>
> To: "Hanashir (E-mail)" <hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org>
>
> Despite Cantor Contzius' impassioned plea supported by the lovely liner
> notes of Dr. Marshall, I remain unconvinced that the organ is an appropriate
> instrument for use in Jewish worship. I have yet to see a true organ that
> can truly appropriately accompany the folksong style of liturgical music
> that is now so popular. And the Germanic classical style, while it may be
> quite beautiful musically, has never, and likely will never feel Jewish to
> me. My roots are in the shtetl, not the urban wealthy lifestyle of the
> German reformers. I adore the music of Lewandowski, Sulzer, etc. as a
> musician. But it speaks to me not as a Jew.
>
> I do my absolute best, and perhaps a trained organist (which I am not) might
> do better, but it's never quite right, playing the folksy stuff on the organ
>
> I would argue strongly against Dr. Marshall's contention that electronic
> keyboards fall far short of the subtleties available on the organ. First of
> all, I can get subtleties on a simple acoustic piano far in excess of the
> organ already. And the organist has the advantage of mutiple stops and
> configurations the pianist does not. Secondly, maybe the synthesizers and
> electronic keyboards of a decade ago, even five years ago, might fall short.
> Not anymore.
>
> I've witnessed an organ afficiando fooled in a kind of Pepsi/Diet Coke taste
> test of an electronic organ vs. a real, first class pipe organ. The
> technology is vastly improved. Now, I'll be the first to admit, I'll take my
> acoustic piano (or a real organ) over a synthesized one anytime, but for
> versatility, the elctronic keyboard cannot be beat. The physical constraints
> of organ pipe design (and their electronic imitations) do limit the
> instruments capabilities in producing a full range of orchestral sounds.
> There's no getting around that. Organ registrations do their best to
> imitate, and create their own unique sound combinations, but a top notch
> synthesizer can do what no organ (or piano) can in the hands of a master
> synthesizer player.
>
> For the record, our volunteer choir (with 4 ringers) here at Micah in
> Nashville sat in chairs near the organ, which is to the stage right of the
> bimah. They wore white choir robes (I didn't care for that either-again,
> very churchy to me. A kittel on the rabbi or cantor I'm used to, but choir
> robes?)
>
> We had, effectively, 6 rehearsals in which to assemble the RH/YK service
> music. We pulled it off, but I got a few more grey hairs in the process.
>
> We learned a good lesson in congregational minhag. After the first RH
> service, the rabbi told me to drop the orchestrated and arranged choral
> responsive "Va'anachu" because it threw the congregation off.
>
> Given my druthers, I'd put the choir, dressed just like the rest of the
> congregation, smack dab in the middle of the seating, and let them encourage
> others to sing along rather than perform. But that's hard with a lot of the
> HHD music. Guess my vision of synagogue 2000 is different.
>
> Adrian
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Adrian A. Durlester - durleste (at) earthlink(dot)net
> http://home.earthlink.net/~durleste/
> Student, Vanderbilt University Divinity School
> Music Director, Congregation Micah, Nashville, TN
> Home phone (615) 646-9788
> Nextel cel-phone (615) 207-2661
> You can page me from http://www.nextel.com
> 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)
> Evening Program Chair, CAJE 23 - San Antonio TX, Aug 9-13, 1998
> http://www.caje.org
> Alternate Email: aad (at) iname(dot)com adriand (at) aol(dot)com
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Subject: [HANASHIR:1424] need music
> Date: Mon, 05 Oct 1998 23:15:36 -0500
> From: Judy Caplan Ginsburgh <jerd (at) centuryinter(dot)net>
> To: hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
>
> Has music been published to Debbie Friedman's song -- World of Your
> Dreams? If so, where could I find it? I have to sing it this Friday at
> a Bat Mitzvah. I do have the tape, but it is so much easier for me to
> learn it or sight read it, if I have to, with music.
>
> Judy : )
>
> --
> Judy Caplan Ginsburgh, Award-winning Singer/Music Specialist
>
> http://www.ax.centuryinter.net/jewishentertainment/judy/index.html
> Director: Jewish Entertainment Resources
> http://www.ax.centuryinter.net/jewishentertainment/index.html
> Cantorial Soloist, Touro Synagogue, New Orleans, LA
> Past Conference Chair: 23rd Conference on Alternatives in Jewish
> Education
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Subject: [HANASHIR:1425] Re: need music
> Date: Mon, 05 Oct 1998 21:56:52 PDT
> From: "Carol Leon" <cbleon (at) hotmail(dot)com>
> To: hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
>
> It's published in "Debbie Friedman Favorites Arranged for Piano." Also,
> through Sounds Write you can buy and have faxed (or mailed) to you sheet
> music for individual songs she's written and the fee is very reasonable.
> 1-800-976-8639. I agree, I really prefer learning from sheet music.
> -- Carol Boyd Leon
>
> >Date: Mon, 05 Oct 1998 23:15:36 -0500
> >From: Judy Caplan Ginsburgh <jerd (at) centuryinter(dot)net>
> >To: hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
> >Subject: [HANASHIR:1424] need music
> >Reply-To: hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
> >
> >Has music been published to Debbie Friedman's song -- World of Your
> >Dreams? If so, where could I find it? I have to sing it this Friday
> at
> >a Bat Mitzvah. I do have the tape, but it is so much easier for me to
> >learn it or sight read it, if I have to, with music.
> >
> >Judy : )
> >
> >--
> >Judy Caplan Ginsburgh, Award-winning Singer/Music Specialist
> >
> >http://www.ax.centuryinter.net/jewishentertainment/judy/index.html
> >Director: Jewish Entertainment Resources
> > http://www.ax.centuryinter.net/jewishentertainment/index.html
> >Cantorial Soloist, Touro Synagogue, New Orleans, LA
> >Past Conference Chair: 23rd Conference on Alternatives in Jewish
> >Education
> >
>
> ______________________________________________________
> Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Subject: [HANASHIR:1426] Re: need music
> Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1998 00:53:45 EDT
> From: ALICEWINE (at) aol(dot)com
> To: hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
>
> Judy - Sounds Write has published the book "World of Your Dreams" - p. 23.
> (publ. 1993).
>
> Chag Sameach,
> Alice
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Subject: [HANASHIR:1427] RE: Bridging the gap
> Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1998 09:53:53 +0200
> From: Janet(dot)PAPE (at) oecd(dot)org
> To: hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
>
> I have always put my choirs in the front few rows. They don't have to fuss
> about what they're wearing that way. Most of them don't have a soloist
> mentality and really don't care if they're in the limelight on the bima.
> They participate because they like to sing and like the music and company.
> Depending on your architecture, you can turn them around to face the
> congregation, coming down to their level. This also "bridges the gap".
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Subject: [HANASHIR:1428] Re: need music
> Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1998 08:59:23 EDT
> From: Felsings (at) aol(dot)com
> To: hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
>
> Yes, the music is published for Debbie Freidman's "World of your Dreams" It
> is in the songbook called "World of Your Dreams" Good Luck singing this
> Shabbat!
>
> B'Shalom,
> Felicia
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Subject: [HANASHIR:1429] RE: Bridging the gap
> Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1998 09:11:19 EDT
> From: Rebeccafhp (at) aol(dot)com
> To: hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
>
> Dear Janet et all,
> I am a soloist on Sanibel Island in FL and attended havanashira about 4 years
> ago. Although the only instrument we use is guitar and voice I am starting a
> congregational chorus this year. We plan to meet 1/2 hour before services,
> whoever wants to show up just does. I will teach some simple harmonies for
> songs we already sing (go over the words and meanings of these same songs) and
> introduce some new music to them so they can help me introduce it to the rest
> of the congregation. As to seating during services, I am asking them to sit
> where they would normally. This way we are a singing congregation with no
> hierarchy of 'voices' and thus all will join in, since it's always easier when
> you have a strong voice next to you to help carry the melody. I will let
> y'all know how this concept goes.
> Rebecca Howe-Pinsker
> Temple Bat Yam of the Islands
> Sanibel FL
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Subject: [HANASHIR:1430] RE: Bridging the gap
> Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1998 15:34:49 +0200
> From: Janet(dot)PAPE (at) oecd(dot)org
> To: hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
>
> Good luck to you! It sounds like a nice idea. Janet
- [HANASHIR:1433] Re: HANASHIR digest 339,
Susan Schanerman