Cherished Moments: Songs of the Jewish Spirit
Cherished Moments: Songs of the Jewish Spirit
Artist: Essential Voices USA, Judith Clurman (conductor)
Composers: Solomon Braslavsky, Debbie Friedman, Larry Hochman, Louis Lewandowski, Nico Steinberg
Format: 1 CD
DSL-92182
Featuring: Essential Voices USA, Judith Clurman (conductor), Ron Raines, Bruce Ruben, Michael Slattery
Sono Luminus proudly presents this truly beautiful and unique collection of choral music by Essential Voices USA under the direction of Judith Clurman.
Judith Clurman combines the expertise born of thirty years as a prominent conductor with memories of her own childhood in synagogue and an intimate knowledge of this poignant repertoire to create the unique recording Cherished Moments: Songs of the Jewish Spirit. The recording introduces exciting arrangements of traditional songs that represent the Jewish holidays and life cycle events: from the centerpiece Songs of Freedom: A Celebration of Chanukah, a cycle for chorus, soloists and orchestra that premiered at Carnegie Hall, to the 19th-century lyrical classicism of Louis Lewandowski and Emanuel Kirschner, to works by folk artist Debbie Friedman, cantor composer Bruce Ruben, and Canadian composer Ben Steinberg. The recording also features important new works, among them a minimalist setting of Set Me as a Seal by Nico Muhly, Larry Hochman’s Shomeir Yisrael, and Paul Schoenfield’s Al Hanisim, all written for Judith. The recording features the singers of Essential Voices USA, soloists Ron Raines, Bruce Ruben and Michael Slattery, and renowned guest instrumentalists, including composers Larry Hochman and Paul Schoenfield accompanying their own works.
This amazing mix of tradition and modern compositions and arrangments is masterfuly delivered by this fabulous chorus, and captured by Multi-GRAMMY® award winning producer David Frost. This album follows the highly acclaimed patriotic masterpiece Celebrating The American Spirit (DSL-92162) which features the song cycle “Sing Out Mr. President”
Track List
1. Enosh (Louis Lewandowski, adapted by Larry Hochman) 4:20
2. Oseh Shalom (Debbie Friedman, arranged by Sally Lamb McCune) 5:10
3. Set Me as a Seal (Nico Muhly) 4:18
4. V'erastich Li (Ben Steinberg) 3:09
5. M'chalkeil Chayim (Solomon Braslavsky, arranged by Bruce Ruben) 1:16
6. Songs of Freedom: A Celebration of Chanukah (Traditional Melodies, arranged by Larry Hochman, Judith Clurman, Brian Stokes Mitchell) 10:07
7. Tzadik Katamar (Emanuel Kirchner) 3:01
8. Kadesh Urchatz (Babylonian Chant) :57
9. Circle of Life (Bruce Ruben, arranged by Larry Hochman) 7:01
10. Borukh ate zing der tate (Solomon Golub, arranged by Zalmen Mlotek) 1:55
11. Al Hanissim (Paul Schoenfield) 3:51
12. Meditation (Larry Hochman) 2:19
13. Shomeir Yisraeil (Larry Hochman) 6:15
14. Han'shama Lach (Traditional Melody, arr. J. Clurman for choir) :50
Total time: 54:29
Release date: October 2014
UPC: 053479218223
Quotes & Reviews
Available in plenty of time to prepare one's psyche for the arrival of the holiday season, listeners both religious and nonreligious will feel moved by the genuine emotion elicited by these deeply touching recordings on the Sono Luminus label.
Erica Miner, Broadway World
“The mix of traditional songs in multiple moods and tones, handsomely adapted arranged by Clurman and some laudable colleagues, are beautifully sung with sweet yet profound emotion and gorgeously homogenous choral sound, offering a generous sample of the spirit Clurman is hoping to portray.”
“The Essential Voices live up to their name, and some very accomplished instrumentalists made their way to these sessions.”
