Re: Jewish Music in the synagogue-hazzanim

[Mike Lowy <lowy...>]

As an ironic postscript to this whole discussion, I must add what I heard
on the radio one evening last week. And then I'll release some pent-up
comments on the whole discussion too. This was on the Israel Radio second
channel evening econonmics program, in a little feature they have on the
religious market in Israel.

I apologise if the details are somewhat "ironed", but at the time there
was another conversation going on in my car, and by the time I caught on
to the report I'd missed some of the important details.

It seems that a major concert for Chazzanim was recently organized in
Israel (Tel Aviv? Ramat Gan? Rishon? Petah Tikvah?...Can't remember).
Among the personalities invited to perform was one  well known Hazzan
whose name was only mentioned once - Miller ? Possibly Ben Zion Miller?
And in addition, another attraction was Mordechai Ben David, dubbed as
the singer of MOSHIACH MOSHIACH.

According to the report, when Chazan Miller heard that Ben David was due
to appear, he informed the organizers that he cannot appear in the same
concert as a "pop singer" since this devalues the deep spiritual nature
of Hazanut. The concert apparently went ahead, without Miller.

So much for the report. Now  for a bit of comment.

The entire discussion on Hazzanut seemed to me to be a little narrow, and
basically about what is appropriate or good taste. My own background in
this is rather mixed (some say conflicted). On one side of my family are
the believers that "Alle Hazzonim zennen Naronim" (loose translation: All
Hazzans are nerds). These believers pray in Shtiebels, are devastatingly
critical of the slightest perversion of Nusach -either by wrong Nusach or
by lack of Nusach (or worst of all by time-wasting ego-massaging
Hazzantics), - and live in mockery of the Hazzanic profession. Others
have a love of authentic Nusach-based Hazzanut, but at the same time can
recognize originality in a good hazzan who stays in a Nusach framework,
but develops new directions within -and beyond.

On the other hand, I'm not too quick to condemn wholesale all importing of
other not-necessarily-nusach sources of liturgical expression. (In my
time I've heard very moving versions of (Lord Forgive me!!) Adon Olam
sung to Amazing grace, or Mizmor Le Dovid to House of the Rising Sun ...)
Many will say "Feh," but I believe that if it moves you, then there
should be some space for it. Otherwise how can we explain that melodies
and chants that I find totally bland - e.g. Sepharadi Neillah prayer or Iraqi
Kinnot, are regarded as expressions of profoundly moving Jewish
liturgical fervor?

To me, meaningful davening begins with an understanding of the text - not
just the dictionary meaning of the words, but also its midrashic,
halachic, historical and cultural context. Somewhere, the way a prayer was
sung in its original form and its layers of purpose and meaning led it to
be sung in certain ways, some of which have remained on record as
traditional nusach or melodies. At any given time, all this is the
framework. A skilled Baal Tefillah or Hazzan will then apply the
framework to the specific occasion. If especially creative,(s)he'll find
appropriate places to include Hassidic tunes, tenzlach, Israeli love
tunes, and even Opera or Rhythm'n'Blues. If appropriate, it'll stick. If
not, it'll shrivel.

Thank you for reading and not immediately expunging this message... (Who
shall live and who shall die, Tra-La-La... maybe that's not so bad after
all).

Happy Hannukka

Mike.

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