top of page

title: Kabbalat Shabbat (Friday Evening Service)

composer: Ben-Haim, Paul

publisher: IMP (distributed in the USA by Theodore Presser)

catalogue number: Presser 512-00007 (IMP 328)

voicing: satb; solo S and baritone or tenor

accompaniment  chamber orchestra

language: Hebrew

text: Friday evening synagogue liturgy

year of composition: 1967

timing: 40:00

recordings:

level of difficulty: moderate

description: A setting of the Friday evening synagogue liturgy according to the American Reform Jewish ritual. Commissioned by the National Federation of Temple Youth, the work is not difficult for a good high school choir.

​

title: Sacred Service (Avodath Hakodesh) (Saturday morning Reform liturgy)

composer: Bloch, Ernest

publisher: Broude Brothers

catalogue number:

voicing: SATB (div), solo baritone

accompaniment: orchestra

language: Hebrew (optional English)

text: Sabbath morning liturgy

year of composition: 1933

timing: 50 minutes

recordings: SONY SM2K47533

level of difficulty: challenging

description: It took Bloch four years to complete his Sacred Service (Avodat Ha-kodesh). Although it was commissioned to be based on the Sabbath morning liturgy, this grand work, with its universal themes, its post-romantic organic conception, scored for large orchestra, chorus, and baritone soloist, is more appropriate for the concert stage than for the synagogue bimah. Bloch himself considered it more a sacred Hebrew oratorio than a Jewish liturgical service.

​

title: Service Sacré (Friday night and Saturday morning)

composer: Darius Milhaud

publisher: Salabert

catalogue number: EAS15270A

voicing: SATB div, baritone solo

accompaniment: orchestra (or organ or piano)

language: Hebrew (alternate French)

text: liturgy

year of composition: 1947

timing: 56:00

recordings: Naxos

level of difficulty: moderate

description: In this most charming setting of the Jewish Sabbath liturgy, Milhaud subconsciously evokes the synagogue melodies of his childhood. This work is not as through-composed as Bloch’s more famous setting; various sections can be added or omitted.

bottom of page