Notes from Cantor Avima

     As I write this, Rosh Hashanah is less than a week away. Soon,  our synagogue will be filled with people, but as usual, the sanctuary will predictably empty out right between the end of the  sermon and the introduction to the musaf service which features  the most dramatic and poetic texts of the entire year. With those texts are some classic musical settings and ancient, traditional melodies. I will be standing at the back of the sanctuary preparing to waiting to sing the Cantor's prayer "Hineni". In this prosaic text, the Cantor chants a humble plea that in spite of his/her own personal flaws, be acceptable as the emissary of the congregation. Traditionally, the Cantor chants quietly from the back of the synagogue and slowly walks as he/she sings to take his/her place at the Cantor's podium. The Cantor reaches the podium and begins the Musaf service with the Chatzi Kaddish, followed by the silent amidah. 

     In the repitition of the Amidah we have many liturgical gems starting with the "U'netaneh Tokef" prayer. You can access a brief background, text and translation here: U'netaneh Tokef.  Here is a solo setting, sung by the wonderful Rabbi Cantor Angela Buchdahl; this is one of the settings  that I often sing: U'Netaneh Tokef - Rabbi / Cantor Angela Buchdahl . U'netaneh Tokef continues with the imagery of "The Great Shofar" - U'vshofar Gadol  which shares the imagery of the Great Shofar blast procaliming the Day of Judgement. Here is a very pleasant , classic U'v'Shofar Gadol - Cantor Baruch Cohon and Youth Choir setting sung by Cantor Baruch Cohon and his youth choir. From there we have the haunting paragraph "Who Shall Live and Who shall Die"  that describes the possible fates that may be brought in the year ahead. This not so cheery description is punctuated by the refrain: B'Rosh Hashanah Yikatayvun, U'vyom Tzom Kippur Yaychataymun" (On Rosh Hashanah it is written and on Yom Kippur it is sealed). I can't resist but share this darling rendition sung by a very young child even though it is not one of the melodies I sing: B'Rosh Hashanah - sung by a very young child! Here is the rendition I most often sing: B'Rosh Hashanah- Joshua Lind

     Finally, the musaf service on Rosh Hashanah features three themes: God's Sovereignty (Malchuyot), Remembrance (Zichronot) and Revelation (Shofarot). Each theme is introduced by an opening text, punctuated by scriptural verses,  ends in a closing blessing and finally followed by the sounding of the shofar.   After the shofar is sounded we sing two paragraphs: "Hayom Harat Olam" - "Today the world was created " and "Areshet S'fateinu" - "May the sound of our lips reach  on high to God". Here is a simple rendition of both of these prayers: Hayon Harat Olam and Areshet S'fateinu - Sarit Hurwitz . I am not familiar with the first melody sung here, but you will definitely hear the melody for Areshet S'fateinu! 

     I know this is a lot of material... but, some of these same prayers, actually all  of them except for the last two will be repeated on Yom Kippur as well!