Davvening music

[Jeffrey R. Smith <jrsmith...>]

Being both an orthodox Jew and a music-lover, I have always found the 
religion's view of music
quite ambivalent. For example, music was the first of the arts to be known to 
man and goes
back almost as far as the Creation. Berashit IV 21 states 'veshem achiyv Jubal 
hu hava avi kol
tofes kinor ve'uguv' - 'And his brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of 
all such as handle
the harp and the pipe'. I believe that this means that music is important to 
God; or at least that
He considers it to be important to man. I also believe that this is borne out 
by the large number
of talented Jewish musicians over the years; pianists, violinists, conductors 
and composers (
particularly in the light music field). I believe that talent such as a musical 
talent is given by God,
and wouldn't be given if there was no purpose behind it.

When it comes to praying, however, we appear to try to abandon music as a 
vehicle of
expression. The only musical instrument of any kind which finds a place in any 
service, apart
from the marriage service, is the Shofar. Even then we appear to take the first 
possible
opportunity to leave it out. What reason do the Rabbis give for not blowing the 
Shofar on
Shabbat? Logic would tell us that it is considered to be work of some sort. 
Wrong! Perhaps it is
because of the effort that goes into blowing the instrument. Wrong again! It is 
because maybe
someone forgets to bring the Shofar into the Synagogue before the commencement 
of Shabbat.
And maybe it would have to be brought into the Synagogue during Shabbat. This 
would
constitute carrying, which is, of course, prohibited on Shabbat.

What reason do the Rabbis give for not allowing musical instruments to be part 
of the
Synagogue service? We can rule out the above two reasons again. In fact, the 
reason is not
religious at all. It is historical. It is because of the destruction of the 
Temple that music is
apparently banned. I have also been led to believe that when the word 'Selah' 
appears in the text
of a prayer, it actually refers to musical notation. Why would this be, if 
music is banned? Can
anyone shed some light on this?
 Obviously the men who made this ruling, and I can only assume that it was men 
rather than an
instruction from God, did not know too much about music because the combined 
forces of
Chazan, choir and congregation produce a sound which is as much music as is a 
full symphony
orchestra.
Surely, as this combination is the only music we are allowed, we should utilise 
it to the full. This
can only happen if the congregation actually know the tunes which the Chazan 
and choir are
singing. I belong to the Edgware United Synagogue and our Chazan is Stephen 
Robins, who
has a beautiful voice, and performs on TV and has made records both solo and 
with the
Shabbaton Choir. Unfortunately he has music written for him to show off his 
voice to the greatest
extent. These tunes are obviously unknown to the congregation, who are unable 
to join in.
Therefore, they do the next best thing - they talk. At least those who bother 
to stay in the
Synagogue talk. The others have stopped bothering to come. After all we go to 
Synagogue to
pray, and not to listen to the Chazan's voice, however wonderful it may be. 
This is obviously
different to the response in the U.S. The tunes that we use may not be as old 
as we may think
they are (as Henrique Bass has pointed out), but they do have one thing in 
their favour; they are
known to the congregation, who are able to join in.

I am sure that there are other reasons why the New World wants 'new music' 
while the 'Old
World' hankers after 'old music'. For instance, I have family and friends in 
Fort Lauderdale who
tell me that the Shabbat service lasts for 2 1/2 hours. In Edgware the service 
starts at 9 am and
if you are lucky you get out of shul at 1 pm. On Yom Tovim it is 1.30 and on 
Rosh Hashanah 2
pm.

Matthew Fields mentioned that his niece sings Adon Olam to the tune of Achey 
Brakey Heart.
We sometimes sing it to the tune of 'John Brown's Body'. My wife is from 
Dublin, and at her
family Simchas they start Birchas Hamazon (Grace after Meals) by singing Shir 
Hama'alot to the
tune of 'Phil the fluter's Ball'. Each year the Anglo Jewish Ex-Servicemen's 
Association hold a
Remembrance Service in November to commemorate those who fell while fighting in 
both
World Wars. Several years ago, one of the tunes they played in all innocence 
was part of one of
Bach's cantatas. The then Chief Rabbi, Lord Jacobovitz, remarked 'What a lovely 
tune. What is
it?' The answer was provided by one of the representatives of Her Majesty's 
Government, who
attend the ceremony every year. 'It's 'Jesu joy of man's desiring', although 
why you're playing it
at a Jewish parade is beyond me.' A lovely story and absolutely true.

Jeffrey Smith