Re[2]: FW: [2ND-GEN:7773] Re: Perry Como

[richard_wolpoe <richard_wolpoe...>]

My own expereicne and the confidential confessions of others has confirmed that 
many of us are stirred by sacred/liturgical music of all stripes.

Handel wrote the Judaeus Macccabeus Oratorio and otehr works with Jewish themes.
 It's not suprsigin that much of his music (eg the Messiah) gets Jews intested. 
His music is highly "sympatico" to Westtern Jews.

Then of course there is the ability of people to separte the instrumental parts 
from the lyrics.  (to digress, I have "classical" muisc loving friends who 
relish operatic overtures WITHOUT the vocals.)  By analogy, one can like the 
MELODIES and not the lyrics to a lot of Christian favorites (Schubert's Ave 
Maria comes to mind).

And there are occasions when Christian liturgical motifs were adated into the 
synagogue, although this sometimes becomes a chikcn/egg paradox as to who stole 
from whom.

Lewandowski's vuv'tseil kenofecha has a bar or 2 that is an unmistakable 
adaptation of Silent Night's "Holy infant ..." phrase.

At some level fine music is a bit like fine wine.  Both the Jewish and Christian
liturgies raise a goblet of wine in order to sanctifiyit.  This is parallel to 
certain musical phrases.

Regards,
Rich Wolpoe


______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re: FW: [2ND-GEN:7773] Re: Perry Como 
Author:  <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org> at Tcpgate
Date:    12/15/98 3:00 PM


responding to E. Kahn's thoughts about Jewish and Christian religious music... 
beautifully said.  I have also had a similar array of experiences and have 
reached a similar conclusion.  I'm a part-time High Holiday cantor, Yiddish & 
sometimes Hebrew concert singer; while as a classical singer, I sing opera, 
oratorio and art song repertoire that ranges from culturally "mainstream" -- 
that is, implicitly set in a Christian culture -- to explicitly Christian 
works.  I was for several years a paid soprano soloist in an Episcopal Church, 
where I was very struck by the simple, sincere way our choir -- ranging in age 
from 7 or 8 to about 70 -- communicated spiritual ideas that are, I believe, 
common to many believers in different theological camps.
On the other hand, some of the Gospel readings were a little hard to take. 
And on the other hand, some of the sermons were quite interesting when I put 
them through my inner filter (searching behind the strictly Christian ideas) 
-- and most of my choir colleagues couldn't have been more bored.
Has anyone else out there have similar experiences?

Happy Chanuka, y'all.
Ilana Kochinska