Liturgy / Siddur – Alexander Massey: Recent Episodes
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Here’s a selection of my music that can be used for morning blessings and P’sukei d’zimra (verses of song).
- Ashrei Yoshvei (Ps 84:5)
- Elohai N’shamah
- Halleluyah #1 (Ps 150) – and if you want a 4 part round in ‘old style’, try Halleluyah #2
- Ki L’Olam Chasdo (Ps 136)
- Mah Gadlu (Ps 92:6)
- Modeh Ani
- Naomi’s Nigun
- Or Zarua #1 (Ps 97:11) – lyrical
- Or Zarua #2 (Ps 97:11) – lively
- Shachar Avakeshcha (Solomon Ibn Gabirol, 11th century)
https://alexandermassey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Kedushah-Massey-v3-choral.mp3
Music & audio © 2024 Alexander Massey – All Rights Reserved
On Shabbat morning, as part of the Amidah blessings, we sing prayers in a call and response. Every prayer tradition has different texts for the parts that the leader recites, so I had to choose which rite I was going to set. The text I used here comes from the World Progressive movement, which includes American Reform Judaism. It’s a wonderful challenge to try and set a text in such a way that it has structural logic that works both musically and expresses what the words are about. And then the setting also needs to be something that everyone can sing, and will bear repeating many times, potentially weekly. I thought it worth trying to write a new setting, especially as I think we do need to aim to ‘sing to God a new song’ from time to time.
Leader: Let us sanctify Your Name on earth, as it is sanctified in the heavens above. As it is written by Your prophet:
All: Holy, holy, holy is Adonai Tz’vaot! God’s presence fills the whole earth.
Leader: Source of strength, Sovereign One, how majestic is Your presence in all the earth!
All: Blessed is the presence of God, shining fourth from where God dwells.
Leader: God alone is our God and our Creator, our Ruler and our Helper; and in mercy, God is revealed in the sight of all the living.
All: I am Adonai your God! Adonai shall reign forever, your God, O Zion, from generation to generation, Hallelujah! To all generations we will declare Your greatness, and for all eternity proclaim Your holiness. Your praise, O God, shall never depart from our lips. Blessed are You, Adonai, the Holy God.
(Translation from Mishkan T’fillah, p.248)
https://alexandermassey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Shachar-Avakeshcha-4_4-Massey.mp3
Music & audio © 2024 Alexander Massey – All Rights Reserved
This piyut (poem) by Solomon Ibn Gabirol (11th century) can be a great way to sing ourselves awake.
- At dawn I seek you, my rock and my refuge; I lay before You my morning and evening prayers.
- Before Your greatness, I stand and tremble, For You can see all the thoughts of my heart.
- What is this that the heart and tongue can bring about, And what is the strength of the spirit within me?
- Behold, how pleasant to You is the singing of a person, Therefore I will affirm You while yet Your spirit lives within me.
(Translation from Mishkan T’fillah, p.633)
https://alexandermassey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Yihyu-Lratzon-Massey.mp3Music and audio © 21 May 2023 Alexander Massey – All Rights Reserved
Buy the sheet music (voice & piano, 2 copies) – $4.95
“May the words of my mouth, and the song in my heart, be pleasing to you, my God, my Rock and my Redeemer.” (Ps 19:14)
These words are used at the end of the daily prayer (T’filah / Amidah). I love these words—for their simplicity and beauty. They are a deep challenge to me to make my prayer authentic. And they are a call to action—I cannot say these words with integrity, unless I follow through with actions that support what I have said in my prayers. That is a daunting prospect. As Abraham Joshua Heschel (‘Man’s Quest for God’, 1954) wrote: “[In] prayer, words are commitments, not the subject matter for aesthetic reflection, … prayer is meaningless unless we stand for what we utter, unless we feel what we accept. A word of prayer is a word of honour given to God.” Hegyon is normally translated as ‘meditation’. I have used the word ‘song’ to simplify the language, and because Strong’s Concordance suggests that hegyon can also mean a ‘resounding music’. I understand hegyon as being an experience beyond words that lifts the spirit – hence the word ‘song’.
Music and recording © Alexander Massey, 20 June 2022 Just over two years ago, I wrote a penitential, yearning setting of this text, inspired by a conversation with Rabbi Anne Brener. Just recently, I have been studying the books and lectures of Rabbi Arthur Green. And his take on this text has led me to … Adonai Adonai No.2 (13 attributes of compassion) Read More »
These are my favourites! Comins, Mike (2010) Making Prayer Real: leading Jewish voices on what prayer is difficult and what to do about it Grishaver, Joel Lurie (2012) Stories We Pray: insights into the inner work of Jewish worship Rosenberg, Arnold S. (1997/2004) Jewish Liturgy as a Spiritual System: a prayer-by-prayer explanation of the nature … Books on Jewish prayer practice and meditation Read More »
Music and recording © Alexander Massey, 19 May 2020 BUY the sheet music – $3.95 (voice & guitar, optional vocal harmonies) In May 2020, during the lockdown, I was attending a morning meditation session run by Rabbi Anne Brener in the USA (4.30pm for me in the UK!). She asked us how we were feeling, … Adonai Adonai (13 attributes of mercy) Read More »
‘God is in the detail’: a composer’s perspective on crafting modern Jewish sacred music – part 7/7 Pt-1 Pt-2 Pt-3 Pt-4 Pt-5 Pt-6 Pt-7 (Bibliography) Bibliography Printed articles ‘A forum on synagogue music (1972) “What makes synagogue … Composing Jewish sacred music – part 7/7 Read More »
‘God is in the detail’: a composer’s perspective on crafting modern Jewish sacred music – part 6/7 Pt-1 Pt-2 Pt-3 Pt-4 Pt-5 Pt-6 Pt-7 (Bibliography) PARDES (‘paradise’) In order to be able to answer those questions, lyricists and composers must … Composing Jewish sacred music – part 6/7 Read More »
‘God is in the detail’: a composer’s perspective on crafting modern Jewish sacred music – part 5/7 Pt-1 Pt-2 Pt-3 Pt-4 Pt-5 Pt-6 Pt-7 (Bibliography) ‘God is in the detail’ So, as a composer and occasional lyricist for sacred music, … Composing Jewish sacred music – part 5/7 Read More »
‘God is in the detail’: a composer’s perspective on crafting modern Jewish sacred music – part 4/7 Pt-1 Pt-2 Pt-3 Pt-4 Pt-5 Pt-6 Pt-7 (Bibliography) Making music ‘holy’ – kodesh When Moses encountered the burning bush, he first had to … Composing Jewish sacred music – part 4/7 Read More »
‘God is in the detail’: a composer’s perspective on crafting modern Jewish sacred music – part 3/7 Pt-1 Pt-2 Pt-3 Pt-4 Pt-5 Pt-6 Pt-7 (Bibliography) ‘Music as Theology’ and ‘Music as Midrash’ The first part of this subheading is a … Composing Jewish sacred music – part 3/7 Read More »
‘God is in the detail’: a composer’s perspective on crafting modern Jewish sacred music – part 2/7 Pt-1 Pt-2 Pt-3 Pt-4 Pt-5 Pt-6 Pt-7 (Bibliography) ‘Reaching out without dumbing down’ The UK Reform Rabbi Jonathan Magonet has suggested: “We are … Composing Jewish sacred music – part 2/7 Read More »
‘God is in the detail’: a composer’s perspective on crafting modern Jewish sacred music – part 1/7 Pt-1 Pt-2 Pt-3 Pt-4 Pt-5 Pt-6 Pt-7 (Bibliography) Prayer, words and music For 40 years, I have been exploring the … Composing Jewish sacred music – part 1/7 Read More »
Evening prayers * Adon Olam No.2 – can be sung a cappella, or with pno/guit * Ahavat Olam – can be sung a cappella solo, congregational, or SATB, or with optional piano * Hashkiveinu – for voice and guitar/piano; can also be a cappella; in Hebrew, it uses core elements of the prayer text, with one short section in English * Mi Chamocha No.2 – in ahavah rabbah mode, can be sung a cappella solo, SATB, or with piano accompaniment * Nigun Ma’ariv – published by Transcontinental Music in Nigun Anthology 3 (2019)
Settings suitable for evening * Adonai S’fatai Tiftach – solo, congregational, with optional guitar; optional round, and optional English alternative * Nigun Tree of Life – deeply contemplative nigun * Oseh Shalom No.2 – solo, congregational, or duet, with optional guitar * Sh’ma Adonai Koli (Ps 27:7) – during Elul and High Holy Days; 2 part round