Ado-nai Malakh & Sham'a va-Tismach - Carlebach

from Friday Night with the Cambridge Egalitarian Minyan by Gal Chadash (the Cambridge Egalitarian Minyan)

	/

Buy the Full Digital Album

about

In addition to the rhapsodic "chanting" heard at open and close of this track (see below), we sometimes also sing more "song"-like melodies written for the entire Psalm or for a few verses - such as Sham'a va-Tismach on this track, composed by Reb Shlomo Carlebach for Verses 8 and 9, and introduced to us by Zach Eilon who learned it from Shira Chadasha congregation, Jerusalem.

We often follow the tradition of "chanting" the open and close of a Psalm, in a free rhythm, and we like to hum a harmonic support for the sha"tz. In the early part of Qabbalat Shabbat (Psalms 95 - 98) the nusakh* we usually adopt for this purpose is due to Carlebach, popular among young Jews and in non-Orthodox movements.

* { In Ashkenazi services, a nusakh is a set of melodic patterns, a harmonic sound-world, for certain times of day or year, or for certain pieces of liturgy. In many cases there are a few different variants from the various Ashkenazi traditions, with substantial overlap and influence. Nuskha'ot have names to classify them by sound, such as 'Adonai Malakh' nusakh - named after the words which open the majestic Psalms 93, 97, 99... }

Tranquil and heartfelt, the Carlebach nusakh for Qabbalat Shabbat is a simplified variant of 'Adonai Malakh' nusakh. We sometimes use two other variants, one introduced to us by Jacky Chernett (majestic, from Eastern European tradition), the other by Zach Eilon (intricate and curvaceous, can be heard in Israel).

We say the remainder of the Psalm each at our own pace, either silently or in a musical murmur (we all have different preferences on this - or it might depend on mood or the style of the service that week).

lyrics

Psalms (Tehillim) 97

credits

from Friday Night with the Cambridge Egalitarian Minyan, released April 1, 2010
Leader: Zach Eilon
Photo: mountains melting like wax (he-harim ka-donag namassu)

license

about

Gal Chadash Cambridge, UK

EgalMin is an inclusive, informal and active community which is famous for its alternative, egalitarian Kabbalat Shabbat services. Being a part of EgalMin means being part of a community which takes great joy in prayer and challenges itself to engage in learning, whilst also providing a social hub for its members and continuing to be an active part of the wider JSoc community. ... more