Here are many pieces I’ve written for High Holy Days over the years. If you like this music, or are interested in singing some of it, please get in touch. I’d love to hear from you! New for 5781 (2020) Adonai, Adonai (13 Attributes) – a lyrical tune to ‘marinade our souls’ (Rabbi Anne Brener) Adonai …
Music and Audio © Alexander Massey 26 May 2019 BUY the sheet music – $3.95 (lead sheet) יִשְׂמְחוּ בְמַלְכוּתְך שׁוֹמְרֵי שַׁבָּת וְקֽוֹרְאֵי עֹֽנֶג עַם מְקַדְּשֵׁי שְׁבִיעִי כֻּלָּם יִשְׂבְּעוּ וְיִתְעַנְּגוּ מִטּוּבֶֽךָ וּבַשְּׁבִיעִי רָצִֽיתָ בּוֹ וְקִדַּשְׁתּוֹ חֶמְדַּת יָמִים אוֹתוֹ קָרָֽאתָ זֵֽכֶר לְמַעֲשֵׂה בְרֵאשִׁית They shall rejoice in Your kingdom, those who keep Shabbat and call it a …
Music and audio © Alexander Massey 25 Nov. 2018 BUY the sheet music – $9 (4 copies @ $2.25) (Apologies for my falsetto parts in this ad hoc recording – I’ll post a better recording when I next have sopranos in my studio!) This Sim Shalom (Maker of Peace) partners another round, Lo Yisa Goi (No.2), …
Music and audio © Alexander Massey 20 Oct 2014 BUY the sheet music – $4.50 (2 copies @ $2.25) Havayah, Sh’chinah, Adonai,S’fatai tiftach,Ufi yagid t’hilatecha. All-That-Is-Was-And-Shall-Be, In-Dwelling Presence, Yah,Open my lips, And my mouth will declare Your Praise. For many years, I have joined with my community to say the Amidah, beginning it with the verse from Ps …
Summary of sections: Prayer, words and music – the role of sacred music ‘Reaching out without dumbing down’ Music as theology; music as midrash ‘Prayer: the lost art’ Making music holy – kodesh ‘God is in the detail’ – 25 questions for creating new musical prayer Using PaRDeS (peshat, remez, drash, sod) as a framework …
‘God is in the detail’: a composer’s perspective on crafting modern Jewish sacred music Read More »
Here are some my musical settings that can be used for Kabbalat Shabbat. First, music for prayers and texts already in the siddur: Adon Olam No.1 – (recording coming soon) The refrain evokes the solemnity and grandeur of the Divine, while the verses have a more tender quality for the intimate yet yearning relationship we have with …
Music and audio © Alexander Massey 11 April 2018 Jer. 31:15; Gen. 4:10; Jerusalem Talmud, Sanhedrin 4:1 (22a) BUY the sheet music (voice & pno) – $4.95 On Yom HaShoah v’HaGevurah, we commemorate both the victims of the Holocaust, and those who heroically resisted. This piece was written to honour those people. The three Jewish …
Composition and audio © Alexander Massey 20 May 2014 BUY the Modeh Ani sheet music (1 or 2 vces & pno) – $4.95 Many years ago, someone commented to me that I didn’t always say ‘thank you’ when it might have been appropriate. I was shocked, and embarrassed. I was convinced I was grateful. But, …
Music and recording © Alexander Massey 11 March 2015 BUY the Elohai N’shamah sheet music – $4.50 (3 copies @ $1.50) The sheet music is also available as part of ‘Five Sacred Chants’. Further commentary about this text can be found in two other of my articles: Elohai N’shamah: its music and meaning Elohai N’shamah: its …
Introduction This is my own personal take on the sequence of the Shabbat morning service. I have drawn from several siddurim (prayerbooks), from Orthodox, through Jewish Renewal to UK Reform and Liberal. I have included most of the big ‘set pieces’ of what happens in a service, as well as some of the more minor …