Composition and audio © Alexander Massey 2011 BUY the sheet music (1 or 2 vces & pno) – $4.95 The poem of Yedid Nefesh is usually attributed to the 16th century kabbalist Rabbi Elazar Ben Azikri, although he never claimed authorship. The text is often sung at Kabbalat Shabbat, the service bringing in Shabbat on […]
Congregational version (lower key, Dm) Solo version (tenor, Fm) Composition and audio © Alexander Massey 2011 – All Rights Reserved BUY the sheet music (solo & pno) – $4.95 BUY the sheet music (duet & piano) – $6.75 (3 copies @ $2.25) BUY the sheet music (SATB & pno) – $9 (4 copies @ $2.25)
Composition and audio © Alexander Massey 22 June 2011 BUY the sheet music (vce & pno, + optional instruements) – $4.95 The Yotzeir Or blessing is a reminder to live joyfully and gratefully, to raise our voices in song, and our feet in dance. This nigun was shaped with that in mind – and heart. In
The Rabbis juxtaposed the three separate paragraphs of the Sh’ma, because they touched on so many themes and layers of meaning central to Judaism. Reading the Sh’ma therefore enables us to fulfill the commandment to study Torah (Berachot 60b). For about a year and a half, I have studied the Sh’ma closely, as well as
Seven Triptychs on the Sh’ma Read More »
Composition and audio © Alexander Massey 4 May 2007 BUY the sheet music (lead sheet, optional pno part) – $1.95 This nigun was written to mirror the movement of the angels on Jacob’s ladder, ascending and descending between earth and heaven (Gen 28:10-19). I originally thought of the melody spanning 10 pitches (B to D),
Tree of Life Nigun Read More »
In Lev. 10, Aaron’s two sons are consumed by fire, and die. There is a cryptic sentence in the text: “Vayidom Aharon.” This is often translated as ‘Aaron was silent’, or ‘Aaron held his peace.’ But neither of these does justice to the Hebrew verb, which really means, ‘Aaron was struck dumb / became still’. Rabbi
Before we ever said hello Read More »