Re: cantorial music by/for women

[Hayyim Feldman <hf...>]

I have an interesting and enjoyable 10" Hi-Fi LP, Capitol CCL-7515
(1950s), called Soul of a People: Hebraic Chants, by Bas Sheva, with
orchestra conducted by Harold Mooney.  But I don't know hazzanut well
enough to evaluate it.  Bas Sheva's best known recording was another
10" LP called The Passions, by exotica master Les Baxter.  She was also in
the 1949 Yiddish film "Catskill Honeymoon".  The notes for Soul of a
People say that her father and mother were a cantor and a concert singer,
respectively.  She too is from Philadelphia; I wonder if she and Shaindele
(with whom I am not familiar) knew or influenced each other.  But I
believe the compositions on this recording are all ones that were already
reasonably well known, nothing original, so not relevant to your question,
Robert.

-Hayyim

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
If it be Your will that I speak no more
  that my voice be still, as it was before
I will speak no more, I shall abide until
  I am spoken for, if it be Your will.

If it be Your will that a voice be true
  from this broken hill I will sing for You
>From this broken hill, all Your praises they shall ring
  if it be Your will to let me sing.

                             -Leonard Cohen, "If It Be Your Will" (1985)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

On Thu, 02 Sep 1999, Lori Cahan-Simon wrote:

>Robert,
>
>I don't have exactly what you have in mind, but what about Shaindele (aka
>Jean Gornisht) of Philadelphia, extremely popular woman cantor of 40 or
>50 years ago.  I guarantee you've never heard a voice like it before. 
>Such power, such emotional delivery!  The one recording I have verges on
>the sentimental at times, but she has no equal IMHO!
> 
>Lori 
> 
>At 11:29 AM 09/02/1999 PDT, you wrote:  
> 
>>Does anyone have any suggestions of recorded pieces of particularly
>>lyrical, pleasing liturgical music written _by_ contemporary women
>>cantors and/or _for_ same--i.e., with women's voices in mind?  Any
>>thoughts on what composing w/ women's voices in mind would entail? 
>>Has anything (i.e., an article somewhere)  been written about same? 

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