RE: Adon Olam et al

[elkahn <elkahn...>]

Adrian:

Yes, "a well-wrought blend of tradition and modernity," I completely agree
with you. But congregants singing EVERY prayer is not a blend. It's too
much participation.

Why is it we Jews must always "participate?" Couldn't congregations sit in
silence for awhile and just "listen" to good music? You are as familiar as
I with church services: Protestant congregations will sing sing three
hymns and listen to the rest. Depending on the church, there will be two
or three "special music" sections per service. This seems like a
good balance to me.

I believe the intoning of Hassidic niggunim ("di, di") is a bad mistake
for American liberal denominations: i.e Conservative, Liberal, Reform. It
works for the Hasidim because nigunim are alive to them and an integral
part of their culture. But most liberal Jews lead far different lives,
have received a far more secular education and work and live in a more
assimilated environment. There's nothing more embarrasing -- yes
embarrasing -- to me than a group of well-educated, secular Jews who are
familiar with the great artworks of Western Civilization, going into their
house of worship and intoning "di, di, di" as some sort of holy
incantation. Surely we can do better than that.

Perhaps it wouldn't be such a "miracle" getting people into a synagogue if
we offered them music that both stirred them to worship and challenged
their intellectual and emotional sensibilities.

Eliott Kahn
   

On Fri, 5 Feb 1999, Adrian Durlester wrote:

> And I would respond that it is exactly because of what I have learned from
> seriously studying nusach and Jewish musical history that I decry this
> traditionalist insistence on not stepping outside some arbitrary musical
> boundary.
> 
> While, being one myself, I agree with the need for trained musical
> professionals, nevertheless I see their role as helping to guide
> congregations into a well wrought blend of tradition and modernity.
> 
> I also believe too much emphasis is being placed on the keva, and not the
> kavanah. We can't get inside peoples' brains to determine if "ignorantly
> intoning di-di-di" is or is not effective in praising, asking, petitioning,
> and thanking G-d. While I take every opportunity I can to demonstrate to
> them how they can use traditional nusach (and music in that style) and
> t'filah to achieve whatever end they seek in worship, and have that rare
> occasion when someone finally grasps the possibilities, I would never
> presume to sit in judgment of someone who does not make the connection. If
> they are there, in the synagogue, worshipping, that is in itself (sadly,
> these days) a miracle.
> 
> Adrian
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org
> [mailto:owner-jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org]On Behalf Of elkahn (at) 
> JTSA(dot)EDU
> Sent: Friday, February 05, 1999 8:33 AM
> To: World music from a Jewish slant.
> Cc: elkahn
> Subject: Re: Adon Olam et al
> 
> 
> 
> Ameyn. And may I also add that after learning a bit about Nusah and
> studying Jewish musical history over the past few years, American Jews
> should be extremely concerned right now about the state of music in their
> synagogues. From what I've observed in COUNTLESS synagogues in the NY
> metro area, it's deplorable.
> 
> The communal singing that was introduced in the sixties has finally borne
> its bitter fruit: congregants ignorantly intoning di-di-di for every other
> blasted prayer, singing the "Sh'ma" (not such a hot tune to begin with) at
> a largo tempo to invest it with solemnity, lay song leaders leading
> prayers in stratospheric keys that only a chipmunk could sing in, an on
> and on...ad nauseum.
> 
> I am NOT speaking of Orthodox synagogues because I don't worship there,
> rather the Reform, Reconstructionist and some Conservative branches.
> 
> Why do congregants -- and especially board members -- believe they can do
> without trained cantors and other music professionals? Is the next step
> that they can do without trained rabbis?
> 
> Democratization of prayer and song are good things -- but within reason.
> When there are no trained professionals around, the results are that the
> inmates take over the asylum. That is not my idea of a vibrant, living
> Judaism.
> 
> Eliott Kahn
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Adrian A. Durlester  -  durleste (at) home(dot)com
> http://members.home.net/durleste/
> Student, Vanderbilt University Divinity School
> http://divinity.lib.vanderbilt.edu/vds/vds-home.htm
> Music Director, Congregation Micah, Nashville, TN
> http://www.micahnash.org/
> 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)
> http://www.torahaura.com/
> Alternate Email: aad (at) iname(dot)com  adriand (at) aol(dot)com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 

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