In taking a scholarly approach to the question that still can’t seem to be answered with confidence after thousands of years, the venerable Dr. Isaacson shows his playful side with a setting of a lyric by Marcia Hain Engle. A cute little ditty with a formidable accompaniment for a smile at any holiday concert. Listen […]
Leave it to Joshua Jacobson to fuse the unique ambience of the music of the great Shlomo Carlebach into a beautiful choral setting. Gorgeous, held chords make way later for an interesting davening section in which the choir members perform a segment of the arrangement individually at their own pace. A piece as cross-denominational as […]
There is no shortage of arrangers creating settings of the music of honored Jewish music heroine Debbie Friedman – this is one of the best. This piece will bring listeners to tears at a healing service or Shabbat worship; Friedman’s melody brings out the special meaning in the text, and Feinsinger’s voicings are beautifully appropriate.
Amongst her dozens of famous Jewish-themed hits, Debbie Friedman seems to have a penchant for penning the anthemic. Friedman’s English interpretation of the Traveler’s Prayer has become a classic, and Werstch’s fluid arrangement does the job just right. The absolutely perfect piece for a farewell, graduation or other commemoration of a culmination of any sort.
The latest original in Transcontinental’s Western Wind Series, Elliot Levine’s setting of this text, used most famously to celebrate Chanukah but also perfect for Purim, is a rousing one. Clever use of combative rhythms seems to make the choir its own accompaniment. Perfect for any choir’s winter concert!
