Search - Jim Gutman, Leon Janikian, Jo Amar :: Soul of the Sabbath

?During the Middle Ages, under the influence of the Kabbalah, Jewish bards began to compose zemirot, sacred songs for the Sabbath table. The lyrics were written down, but the tunes were not. So, while the poetry of these songs has survived, more or less intact, over the centuries, the music has changed as Jews in each land and in each generation have given new voice to the time-honored words. This album presents a sampling of zemirot from various traditions and in various styles. Some of these zemirot are presented as they were originally conceived, simple folksongs intended for families to sing as they sat around the Sabbath table. In other case we have presented the traditional melodies in artistic choral arrangements. Some selections are newly composed works, reflecting contemporary responses to the ancient texts. Herein, through a wide range of expressions, we pay homage to the music that is the soul of the Sabbath?. -Joshua Jacobson