[HANASHIR:1458] Informal 'choir'/group review

[Rachel Gurevitz <rgurevit...>]

Dear all,

Following on from the discussions last week about having community members
in informal choir-type groups within the congregation, I thought I'd report
back on my experience of doing just that for Simchat Torah.

I've been running a very informal group (only about 8 regulars) once a
month - most have no music experience, little hebrew ability, and so we
spent plenty of time just working on standards (Hava Nagila, Hine Ma Tov -
that kind of thing), infused with some Debbie Friedman songs, chassidic
niggunim etc - they loved the mix.  Anyway, the Rabbi of the shule wanted
me to help change their Simchat Torah service.  They have a non-Jewish paid
3 member 'operatic'  choir with organ usually, and they were there on
Simchat Torah too to do their usual liturgical stuff, but the Rabbi wanted
to liven things up for the Torah parade.

Anyway, the group wasn't big and wasn't really anything like a choir - just
a group of people meeting to sing, but they were pleased (if rather
anxious) about being asked to help infuse the congregation with some
energy.  In the end we just had them in the congregation - many sitting
together near the front, but some with other members of their family
elsewhere (but they didn't stay in their seats for long, forming the long
line of dancers and flag-wavers etc.)  I went up on the bima and led from
the front with drums (very useful for getting a dance beat going and making
sure that we all sang together).  It went down really well, and I think the
group felt that they'd contributed to sparking off singing among a
congregation who barely sing usually (organ, choir too high etc. - you know
all about that). 

 However, I didn't quite manage to leave the post of 'leader'.  I had kind
of hoped that I wouldn't have such a dominant position, but that was what
the congregation, and my singing group actually wanted - both to direct the
singing, but I think also to help 'give permission' to others to sing out
loud and dance when they could see a 'leader' doing the same thing (all
those British inhibitions to break down).  When I repeated the set the next
day we had fewer singing group members there so I ended up using a
microphone, which I had also had doubts about, but again it was really
necessary as the back of the shule couldn't hear me otherwise and pick up
the rhythm and the tune.

I know of one shule in London that had the formal choir and organ job, and
another that had guitars and a group of songleaders working together (Jess
to report?).  By all accounts the informal approach is really popular among
congregations - but why should we reserve such joyous worship for Simchat
Torah only?

Hope you all had a great Chag,
Rachel  
____________________________

Rachel Gurevitz
Department of Geography
University College London
26 Bedford Way, London
W1CH 0AP.  UK
Tel: 0171 387 7050 x5526