Re: Kol Nidre

[Sam Weiss <SamWeiss...>]

Joe Kurland <ganeydn (at) crocker(dot)com> wrote:

     >...be able to know what you are singing throughout.
     >When you practice, concentrate on the meaning of
     >every word and every phrase and the historical
     >context in which this prayer was written so that you
     >can interpret it emotionally in your singing.
     >Remember that you are representing the congregation
     >as you sing. All their hopes and sorrows must be
     >expressed by your voice...

Nice idealism, Joe, but are you trying help Lenka or scare her away?
Without intending any sarcasm, I would not advise Lenka in ths context 
to overly dwell on the hopes and sorrows of the congregation -- which 
may be trivially mundane -- but to "learn the score," as it were, as 
best as she can, and the concomitant emotions will speak for themselves.

As it happens, to "...concentrate on the meaning of every word and every
phrase.." of Kol Nidre may not produce the desired results as it might
in other prayers.  In fact, Kol Nidre is not technically a prayer at
all, but a legal formula for absolution of vows which has made rabbis -- 
from Rishonim to Reform -- squirm for many centuries.  (It provides 
fodder for countless hate websites to this day.) The historical context 
in which this declaration was written is 9th century Babylonia (=Iraq) 
where Aramaic was still the Jewish vernacular, and not 15th century 
Spain, as common lore has it.  Its high drama in today's Ashkenazic 
congregations derives principally from the stirring 17th century melody 
which has become firmly attached to the words of Kol Nidre.  (Among the 
Sephardim it is chanted quite plainly.)


__________________________________________________________
Cantor Sam Weiss === Jewish Community Center of Paramus, NJ



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