Composition & recording © Alexander Massey 6 Feb 2021 – All Rights Reserved Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers) 2:5 “In a place where there is no humanity, strive to be human.” [Interpretive translation] If this song encourages people to look into the darkness, and gives a sense of the bleakness when there is an …
Composition and audio © Alexander Massey 15 March 2021 Genesis lists 70 descendants of Noah after the crisis of the Great Flood, and from this, Jewish tradition has it that there are 70 nations of the world, and that we all come from one family. This nigun has 70 notes. We, the Jewish people, are one …
Composition & audio © Alexander Massey 29 Nov 2020
Music and audio © Alexander Massey 1 May 2017 These words, based on 2 Samuel 10:11, are traditionally spoken as we finish reading a book of the Torah. They can be translated: “Be strong, be strong, and we shall be strong!” The first half is in the singular, and the second half is in the …
Music and audio © Alexander Massey 8 June 2020 – All Rights Reserved Two part round
A nigun is, at its simplest, any melody. However, in my own music, I use this word only when it is wordless, and, most importantly is carefully structured to take the singer(s) and listener(s) on an emotional and spiritual journey, shaped with a specific intention. I have written much more about this in my articles, …
Music and recording © Alexander Massey 18 July 2020 – All Rights Reserved A musical meditation on the morning blessing for moving mindfully through the world. “In blessing, I kneel to you,coming to the threshold of is-ness/presence,our source of all powers,that rules all that is and eternity;you firm up my steps,giving me your strength and …
Hameichin Mitzadei Gaver (‘… who makes our steps firm’) Read More »
Over a number of years, some new musical settings of High Holy Days prayers have been gradually introduced in the services for the Oxford Progressive Jewish congregation. On this page, you’ll find: pieces I wrote for this year’s HHD for Oxford (2020) pieces I wrote for previous HHD in Oxford, some of which are being …
Music for Oxford High Holy Days (Progressive congregation) Read More »
Music, English lyrics and recording © Alexander Massey 2020 – All Rights Reserved BUY the sheet music (lead sheet) $3.95 “Peace, peace, when you are far,However close you are.”So speaks Havayah. “Who is Havayah?” you might ask. This is a word that, in more recent times, some people have chosen to say when they have in …
Music and recording © Alexander Massey 13 Sept 2020 – All Rights Reserved BUY the sheet music (lead sheet) $3.95 (Note: I have also written a two part round setting of the final verse of Ps 23, which you can find here.) 1 Yah is my shepherd; I lack nothing. [Chorus] 2 Yah makes me …