Happy birthday, Mom!
Dec. 11th, 2006 02:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
magidToday is my mother's birthday. Yesterday we went to a concert by the Zamir Chorale, sponsored by the Beth Israel synagogue (aka where I went to Hebrew school and so on when I was growing up). It was at Clark University, in some hall I'd never heard of. Which was nice, except that every so often I could hear the heating clang, which was especially noticeable during a cappella parts of the program. I should note my bias now: choral music is merely pleasant, and I don't like cantorial-type music, which not only seems too showy for actual prayer, but typically seems to involve singing from a different part of the throat, which sounds more nasal to me (the cantor was the soloist for some of the songs). (My notes interspersed in the listing.)
Salmo 150 (Ernani Aguiar)
This is a Brazilian Xtian composer's piece, and I think it was sung in Latin. I liked this one.
Joyful Noise of Praise (Emmett Price)
This is a piece Zamir had commissioned not too long ago, to be a [Blanking on the right word; all that comes to mind is "Negro spiritual," which isn't it. Blues isn't right either. Something like that, though.] Tehillim song.
Judas Maccabaeus (George F. Handel) exercpts, including
This started the second part of the program, which was Hanukah songs.
Hanukah in Santa Monica (Tom Lehrer)
I'd never heard this one! It's funny (no surprise).
Al HaNissim (Dov Frimer)
It occurred to me this time that everyone sings the first line, but that's not Hanukah specific, going with both Hanukah and Purim. No one sings Al HaNissim for Purim, though.
Shirat Ha-asavim (Naomi Shemer)
This was after the intermission, starting the third and last group of music, songs from or about Israel. I hadn't heard this Shemer song before. Also, in the first half, the group was mixed. In the second half, they were grouped by voice type.
Kibbuy Orot (Naomi Shemer)
Eli, Eli (David Zehavi)
Geographical Fugue (Ernst Toch)
One of my favorites of the concert, an a cappella piece using only words, most of which were place names in Israel, or means of transportation. Partly a round, partly not, it was fun hearing the places as music.
Yerushalayim Shel Zahav (Naomi Shemer)
I think it was this one that was sung in a sort of minor key that I didn't much care for. Though I may be misremembering. (Teddywolf?)
Ani Noladeti LaShalom (Uri Hitman)
Shir La-Shalom (Yair Rosenbloom)
Al Kol Eileh (Naomi Shemer)
Shnirele Perele (trad.)
Simona MiDimona (Shlomo Weisfish)
Hey Harmonika (Alkoni)
Mayim, Mayim (Emanuel Amiran)
Uva'u ha-Ovedim (Carlebach)
Encores
Oseh Shalom (as a singalong)
HaTikvah (ditto)
Which also meant that the audience was standing at the end :-)
Mom had gotten pricey tickets, so we were up in front, able to see the musicians (pianist, clarinetist, and drummer (including hand drums, which were great)) and the singers not obscured by the grand piano (given the angle). At the beginning, it was early enough to see the late-afternoon sun making a fascinating shadow of the conductor on the wall near us. And since my nephew was there, I got to make silly faces at him (he was incredibly well-behaved during the show, I have to say).
And on a wholly unrelated note, this could be dangerous: Menu for Hope III, foodies raising money for the UN World Food Programme. They have lots of tempting foodie items to be raffled off (individually, so no issues about possibly winning something I don't want).
- Halleluhu (Benjie-Ellen Schiller)
The first part is a variety of pieces using texts from Tehillim (Psalms). This piece included some nice hand drumming, which I liked. - Mizmor LeTodah (Syrian chant)
Sung from the balcony, and not nearly as catchy as I'd've thought it would be, unfortunately. The soloist for this piece was the cantor from the shul. - Mismor LeTodah (Salamone Rossi)
Same text, different treatment. - Mizmorei Tehillim (Tzvi Avni)
- Kol Ha-amim
- Yefeh Nof
- Halleluyah
- Kol Ha-amim
This is a Brazilian Xtian composer's piece, and I think it was sung in Latin. I liked this one.
This is a piece Zamir had commissioned not too long ago, to be a [Blanking on the right word; all that comes to mind is "Negro spiritual," which isn't it. Blues isn't right either. Something like that, though.] Tehillim song.
- Not Vain is All This Storm of Grief
- Pious Orgies no comments necessary
- O Father
- Hail Judea Happy Land
- From Capharsalama
- See the Conquering Hero
- Hallelujah Amen
This started the second part of the program, which was Hanukah songs.
I'd never heard this one! It's funny (no surprise).
It occurred to me this time that everyone sings the first line, but that's not Hanukah specific, going with both Hanukah and Purim. No one sings Al HaNissim for Purim, though.
This was after the intermission, starting the third and last group of music, songs from or about Israel. I hadn't heard this Shemer song before. Also, in the first half, the group was mixed. In the second half, they were grouped by voice type.
One of my favorites of the concert, an a cappella piece using only words, most of which were place names in Israel, or means of transportation. Partly a round, partly not, it was fun hearing the places as music.
I think it was this one that was sung in a sort of minor key that I didn't much care for. Though I may be misremembering. (Teddywolf?)
Encores
Which also meant that the audience was standing at the end :-)
Mom had gotten pricey tickets, so we were up in front, able to see the musicians (pianist, clarinetist, and drummer (including hand drums, which were great)) and the singers not obscured by the grand piano (given the angle). At the beginning, it was early enough to see the late-afternoon sun making a fascinating shadow of the conductor on the wall near us. And since my nephew was there, I got to make silly faces at him (he was incredibly well-behaved during the show, I have to say).
And on a wholly unrelated note, this could be dangerous: Menu for Hope III, foodies raising money for the UN World Food Programme. They have lots of tempting foodie items to be raffled off (individually, so no issues about possibly winning something I don't want).