Music links: High Holidays

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At our synagogue -- as at many synagogues -- the most powerful moments of the High Holy Days are connected not only with words, but with music.

If  you're joining us for the High Holy Days in Hoboken this year and you want a refresher of some of the melodies we will be singing, click on the links below.  

Mekhalkel hayyim be-hesed -- the special high holy melody to this passage from the Amidah

Avinu Malkeinu -- perhaps the most well-known congregational melody for the High Holy Days. Sing along with members of USH (August 2020).

Hayom -- 'hayom' means 'today.'  We sing this rousing prayer at the conclusion of the morning service on each day of Rosh haShanah and Yom Kippur.  The words (actually, 'word') are very simple to sing along.
 
Kol Nidrei -- The most famous melody for Yom Kippur evening. traditionally sung three times.


Ashamnu -- The alphabetical confessional prayer, sung repeatedly over Yom Kippur.  (Not to be confused with the 'anti-Ashamnu,' http://rabbischeinberg.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-anti-ashamnu-to-be-sung-to-tune-of.html.)

Kevodcha malei olam -- This melody was composed by my colleague Cantor Ken Richmond, with whom I served on the Mahzor Lev Shalem Editorial Committee.  The words are from a medieval Spanish Hebrew poem by Yehuda Halevi, and the melody was composed in honor of the new Mahzor Lev Shalem.  Sheet music is at http://rabbinicalassembly.org/mahzor/mahzor%20music/Yah%20Ana-Richmond.pdf

Od Yavo Shalom:   This contemporary Israeli song in Hebrew and Arabic has become a classic... and no High Holiday experience is complete at USH without it -- here's a recording of the USH Choir together with Cantigas.



VIDEOS:
Most of these videos were recorded by Rabbi Rob Scheinberg during the pandemic months of 2020, as part of his Pandemic Prayer Project (You can access a playlist of High Holy Day melodies from this series at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVjywDRnApyiHBPeYVq5JyzZY494d1pal, and more videos can be found at https://www.facebook.com/MusicalPrayerPandemicProject and https://bit.ly/PianoPrayerPandemicProjectPlaylist.)

Each video's Youtube description includes the text of the prayer and some more information about it. 


Achat Sha'alti - a passage from Psalm 27 for the High Holy day season:
                                            


Adon Ha-s'lichot:  a Sefardic poem for the month of Elul preceding Rosh HaShanah: 


Va'ani tefilati -- from the Torah service for the High Holy Days and other fesivals

Mehalkel Hayyim -- one of the distinctive melodies for this time of year




Hatzi Kaddish for the High Holy Days -- one of the distinctive melodies for this time of year


Avinu Malkeinu--  refrain sung several times during the High Holy Days


Misod / Zokhreinu -- from the Amidah for the High Holy Days

Hashem Melekh --  poem for Rosh HaShanah


Hineni -- leader's meditation on Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur


Ashamnu - confessional prayer recited repeatedly on Yom Kippur


Ki Anu Amekha -- sung repeatedly on Yom Kippur


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Learning to lead High Holy Day prayers

A full 20 years ago - in 1995 - I was studying in Jerusalem and some friends asked me to make some recordings of High Holiday Nusach.  I recorded them on cassette tapes and they were circulated throughut the JTS community for several years.  

A few years ago, Rabbi Marc Wolf put them in digital format.  In 2015, now-Rabbi Dena Trugman created the index below to help people to navigate the contents of the recordings.   (Also see below for a link to Dena's own recordings.)  I am very grateful to both of them for making this resource available to anyone.  (If downloading, note that these are large files - over 100 MB for #1 and #2.) 

These recordings are intended for those learning to lead High Holiday services in Conservative congregations.  They cover most of the contents of the Silverman Mahzor and are keyed to the page numbers in the Silverman Mahzor, though these recordings should still be useful for people planning to use other Mahzorim. 

http://www.scheinberg.net/rabbi/High_Holy_Day_Nusah_Tape_1.mp3

http://www.scheinberg.net/rabbi/High_Holy_Day_Nusah_Tape_2.mp3

 http://www.scheinberg.net/rabbi/High_Holy_Day_Nusah_Tape_3.mp3




Rabbi Dena Trugman's High Holy Day recordings:  https://www.dropbox.com/sh/4pk1r5fqu0zde12/AAAZlmWHqexZ7QSDqSv-6asqa?dl=0





Index:

Rob Scheinberg's High Holiday Recordings

Track 1: "Maariv and Shaharit"

Maariv for Rosh Hashanah
0:00:38 - Barchu
0:02:20 - Shema
0:02:40 - Emet v'emunah
0:03:40 - Hashkivenu
0:04:10 - Tiku Bachodesh
0:04:27 - Hatzi Kaddish
0:05:40 - (Silent Amidah)
0:05:45 - Kaddish Shalem (same as Shabbat)
0:06:23 - Kiddush when done in shul
0:07:32 - Aleinu (same as weekday)
0:07:33 - Mourner's Kaddish
0:07:38 - L'David
0:07:50 - Yigdal (special tune)

Kol Nidre Service (0:09:20)
0:09:40 - Biyeshiva shel mala
0:10:45 - Kol Nidre
0:17:18 - Yaaleh (piyyut w melody)
0:20:38 - Shomea tefilah (silent)
0:20:51 - Haneshama lach
0:26:40 - Ki Hinei Hahomer
0:27:52 - El horeita lanu
0:30:25 - Shma koleinu
0:31:50 - Ki anu amecha
0:32:50 - Anu azei panim
0:34:00 - Ashamnu
0:35:25 - Atah yodeah ratzei olam
0:36:14 - Al chet shehatanu
0:37:33 - Mi sh’ana l’avraham avinu
0:38:50 - Avinu Malkeinu
0:41:48 - End of Maariv Services

Shacharit (41:49)
0:41:54 - Birkot Hashachar
0:42:00 - Pesukei Dezimra - special tune for HH
0:44:00 - Baruch She'amar 
0:44:25 - Ashrei
0:44:44 - Nishmat Kol Chai
0:45:00 - Shacharit
0:45:50 - HaMelech
0:46:44 - Shochen Ad
0:47:20 - Uvmakalot
0:47:50 - Brachot v'hodaot
0:48:33 - Hatzi Kaddish
0:49:38 - Barchu
0:50:45 - El Adon (same as Shabbat)
0:51:00 - Kulam ahuvim 
0:51:19 - L'eil orech din
0:52:50 - Shema (same as always)
0:53:00 - Emet v'yatziv
0:54:00 - Mi chamocha (Shabbat version)
0:54:18 - (Silent Amidah)
0:54:20 - HAZARA (same nusach for Shacharit and Musaf, and YK Mincha)
0:55:45 - Misod (different tune)
0:56:18 - Piyyutim for 1st/2nd days
0:59:06 - Zochreynu
1:00:10 - Motif for chatimot
1:00:17 - Atah Gibor
1:00:25 - Michalkel, Mi Chamocha (Melody)
1:01:10 - Mi Chamocha again
1:05:01 - Adonai Melech
1:06:15 - Adonai Melech alt tune
1:10:40 - L'eil orech din
1:12:43 - KEDUSHA 
1:14:09 - Yimloch (switch back to tune for Shacharit Hazara)
1:14:50 - **Recurring motif of Hazara**
1:16:10 - Uvchen tzadikim
1:16:52 - Kadosh atah v'nora
1:17:18 - Atah v'chartanu
1:17:53 - ya'aleh v'yavoh
1:18:50 - Eloheinu v'elohei avoteinu m'loch al kol haolam
1:20:52 - Rtzei Adonai Eloheinu
1:21:22 - Modim Anachnu lach
1:22:00 - Vchol hachaim
1:22:34 - Keyn yhi ratzon
1:22:52 - Sim Shalom
1:23:25 - B'sefer Chaim (Melody)
1:24:28 - Avinu Malkeinu taped previously for Kol Nidre
1:24:32 - End of RH Shacharit 

YK Shacharit (Changes)
1:24:47 - Everything same for YK Shaharit until Barchu
1:24:59 - YK Barchu
El Adon on Shabbat do whatever you want
1:27:03 - Piyyut Baruch Shem Kavod Malchuto


Track 2: "Shaharit & Musaf"

YK Shacharit (Changes continued)
0:00:36 - Hazara
0:01:00 - Misod (different words for YK)
0:01:30 - YK Shaharit piyyutim
0:09:40 - L'eil orech din
0:10:56 - KEDUSHA (diff from RH Shacharit, words similar to shabbat Musaf)
0:11:35 - Kevodo
0:11:54 - Mimkomo
0:12:11 - Shema
0:13:00 - Ldor vador (tune change)
--Hazarah Nusach same as RH Shacharit--
0:14:00 - Slach lanu
0:14:12 - El Horatia lanu
0:14:40 - Adonai Adonai el rahum
0:16:05 - Shema Koleinu (ark opened)
0:17:14 - Ki anu Amecha 
0:18:05 - Anu azei fanim
0:18:50 - Ashamnu (same as Kol Nidre)
0:20:28 - Al Chet
0:22:35 - End of Shacharit for RH/YK

Torah Service (RH & YK)
0:23:14 - Ki mitzion
0:23:50 - Adonai Adonai
0:24:20 - Vaani tefilati
0:24:56 - Shema (special tune)
0:25:50 - HH TROPE for torah reading
0:27:35 - 1st Aliyah for RH
0:28:30 - 2nd Aliyah for RH
Haftarah is regular nusach

Shofar Service (0:30:35)
0:31:01 - Min Hametzar
0:31:56 - Brachot for blowing shofar
0:32:45 - Ashrei ha'am yodeah
0:33:11 - Ashrei
The rest is the same as Shabbat (also for YK)

Musaf
0:34:40 - Hineni (p. 279)
0:37:00 - Hatzi Kaddish (special time - Nusach for HH Musaf)
0:39:04 - Silent Amidah
0:39:15 - Hazara (same as Shacharit)
0:42:17 - UNETANEH TOKEF
0:45:00 - B'ROSH HASHANAH
0:47:30 - Ki kishemecha
0:50:14 - Kedusha (same as Shacharit)
1:03:00 - Hayom Arat Olam
1:04:30 - Areshet Sefatenu
1:12:30 - Hayom
1:04:30 - Areshet Sefatenu
1:12:30 - Hayom
1:17:00 - Changes for YK Musaf
Piyyutim
1:20:00 - Unetaneh Tokef = same
1:22:00 - Avodah Service
1:31:40 - Martyrology / Eleh Ezkerah

Track 3: “Musaf, Mincha, and Neilah”

1-15:30:  Continuation of Musaf;  Mincha RH and YK
Neilah (15:30)
16:15 - Ashrei
16:35 - Uva letzion
16:45 - Hatzi Kaddish
20:30 - Repetition of Amidah
24:50 - Yimloch adonai l’olam (special tune for Neilah)
25:22 - P’tach lanu sha’ar
27:05 - El horeita lanu
29:00 - Adonai adonai el rachum (13 attributes)
30:35 - Ki anu amecha and Ashamnu same as before
31:00 - Atah noten 
32:20 - Atah hivdalta enosh
32:45 - V’atah brachamecha
34:40 - Shema before sounding shofar to end service





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