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Chanukah Music
Dec. 6th, 2021 10:16 pmFirst, to follow up from yesterday, the Persian market in Tyson’s did, indeed, have both unshelled unsalted pistachios and dried rose petals. So I am ready to implement Miriam’s Middle Eastern bakery!
Chanukah ended at sunset tonight. During the holiday, I posted a Chanukah song to Facebook each night, as I’ve done for the past few years. My aim is to publicize new or lesser known songs. And to avoid Adam Sandler’s song. Here’s what I used this year:
Night 1 was a chorus singing a Yiddish song about a father singing the blessings over the Chanukah candles. It was arranged by Zalman Mlotek:
For the second night, this is a new song by Robert Ebner-Statt. It would be stronger without the references to some Christmas things, but it is represents a typically American view of Chanukah.
Night 3 took us to this song by Oneg Shemesh, an Israeli who now lives in West Hempstead, New York, where I went to high school. I liked the lively beat. Not a song to sit still while listening to.
For Night 4, I did the obligatory a cappella song. There are several a cappella Jewish music groups. This year, 613’s West Side Story medley dominated the scene. So I went with the Maccabeats instead.
Night 5 featured a tango!
For Night 6, I went with a favorite Hebrew song about driving away darkness. There are lots of versions of this, but I wanted to feature some women performing and the use of Middle Eastern instruments.
Night 7 took me in yet another direction. For those who are not familiar with Stephen Page, he was one of the founding members of (and a major songwriter for) Barenaked Ladies.
Finally, for the 8th night, I went with a song from Yossi Desser’s album of Chanukah carols, which is based on how many familiar Christmas songs were by Jewish composers. I have mixed feelings about the idea, but it is interesting.
As a special bonus, somebody might live somewhere remote enough that they haven’t heard the song I referenced above (by the a cappella group, 613) at least 613 times already. So here it is.
Chanukah ended at sunset tonight. During the holiday, I posted a Chanukah song to Facebook each night, as I’ve done for the past few years. My aim is to publicize new or lesser known songs. And to avoid Adam Sandler’s song. Here’s what I used this year:
Night 1 was a chorus singing a Yiddish song about a father singing the blessings over the Chanukah candles. It was arranged by Zalman Mlotek:
For the second night, this is a new song by Robert Ebner-Statt. It would be stronger without the references to some Christmas things, but it is represents a typically American view of Chanukah.
Night 3 took us to this song by Oneg Shemesh, an Israeli who now lives in West Hempstead, New York, where I went to high school. I liked the lively beat. Not a song to sit still while listening to.
For Night 4, I did the obligatory a cappella song. There are several a cappella Jewish music groups. This year, 613’s West Side Story medley dominated the scene. So I went with the Maccabeats instead.
Night 5 featured a tango!
For Night 6, I went with a favorite Hebrew song about driving away darkness. There are lots of versions of this, but I wanted to feature some women performing and the use of Middle Eastern instruments.
Night 7 took me in yet another direction. For those who are not familiar with Stephen Page, he was one of the founding members of (and a major songwriter for) Barenaked Ladies.
Finally, for the 8th night, I went with a song from Yossi Desser’s album of Chanukah carols, which is based on how many familiar Christmas songs were by Jewish composers. I have mixed feelings about the idea, but it is interesting.
As a special bonus, somebody might live somewhere remote enough that they haven’t heard the song I referenced above (by the a cappella group, 613) at least 613 times already. So here it is.
