And below is the same music, but sung to my own English translation: Music and recording © Alexander Massey 22 January 2013 Download the free sheet music (1 or 2 voices & piano or guitar) The poem L’chah Dodi grows out of the kabbalistic tradition of 16th century Safed. It was popularised by Isaac Luria […]
L’chah Dodi (My Love, My Love) Read More »
Oseh Shalom No. 2 – Composition and audio © Alexander Massey, 12 Sept 2012 Download the free sheet music (1 or 2 voices & piano) I wrote this piece originally for the Yom Kippur Musaf service. This melody is based on musical motifs from the Hin’ni ‘Here I stand’ solo prayer sung by the shliach
Oseh Shalom No.2 (Maker of Peace) – High Holy Days Read More »
In 2012, I attended the inaugural prayer leaders’ retreat of the European Academy of Jewish Liturgy (EAJL), led by Chazan Jaclyn Chernett, Chazan Jack Kessler, Rabbi Marcia Prager, and Chazan Jalda Rebling. I was asked to lead a tisch on the Friday night, and these are the questions and resources that I created for that,
Beha’alotcha 5772 – The vocation of the ba’al tefillah (prayer leader) Read More »
Composition, lyrics and audio © Alexander Massey, 14 June 2012 Download the free sheet music (solo with 3 vocal accompaniments & piano) At first glance, Psalm 87 appears to be quite disjointed, with no clear emotional or theological point to make. While a line from it was used by John Newton in 1779 for the hymn
Holy Mountain (song) Read More »
Psalm 89:16-19 Composition and audio © Alexander Massey, 24 May 2012 Listen / watch on YouTube (including spoken introduction) – SOAS Interfaith Music Festival Download the free sheet music (1, 2 or 3 voices, unaccompanied, or with guitar) Contact me to request the free sheet music for the version of 4 equal voices + piano. Verse
Ashrei Ha’Am (Happy Are The People) Read More »
Composition, lyrics and audio © Alexander Massey, 8 May 2012 Listen/watch song on YouTube Listen/watch nigun (wordless tune) on youTube Download the free sheet music (voice & piano) Although the lyrics for this are based very closely on the first half of Psalm 86, this song was originally written as a nigun (wordless melody),
Come Down, God (song) Read More »
Composition and audio © Alexander Massey 25 March 2012 Download the free sheet music (round for 3 voices & optional piano) “How great are your works, God! Your thoughts are very deep.” The morning service includes Psalm 92 Tov l’hodot (‘It is a good thing to give thanks to God’). We begin the day by
Mah Gadlu (How Great are Your Works) Read More »
Pesach 5772 / 2012 Why the ten plagues of Israel, and not Egypt? A midrashic suggestion Exodus tells the story of ten plagues that afflicted Egypt, prior to the flight of the Israelites into the desert. Why are the plagues given in such detail? Is there any allegorical meaning to be derived from the nature
The Ten Plagues of … Israel Read More »
Composition and audio © Alexander Massey, 6 March 2012 Download the free sheet music (1 or 2 voices & piano) How to encompass in one song the 42 chapters of the story of Job? There have been centuries of debate over the meaning of the Book of Job. Some remind us that the character of
I Am Blessed (song of Job) Read More »
A poem celebrating the Feminine in Judaism …
I Am Shekhinah (poem) Read More »