Shir Chadash is ‘a new song’ and that’s just what our Shir
Chadash Friday nights are about.
Jewish music doesn’t have to be the same as it has been for
years – though actually, you might be surprised to learn that some of the tunes
we think of as ‘traditional’ were actually written by identifiable people not
that many years ago. Synagogue worship doesn’t have to be formal. Jewish music
isn’t just chazzanut or klezmer – it can be Oriental or Spanish or Israeli, it
can be pop or rock, it can be mellow or lively, soulful or rocking. It can be
new.
At Shir Chadash we have a lively musical service. There’s a
band – we have guitars, percussion, piano, horn, and anything anyone else wants
to bring along. The tunes are a mix of traditional and contemporary – and a
number of Shir Chadash originals. These have been written by me (so far), and are
part of my repertoire of original Jewish material which has now been released
in 3 albums and performed in a variety of communities around the world.
Plus, there’s always some food. How much depends on who
brings what – but the atmosphere of a Shir Chadash Friday is always about
staying around, eating and chatting and not just coming to shul and then
zooming off into the night. It means that if you come to a Shir Chadash Friday
night, it can be your whole Friday evening, for all the best reasons.
So we hope you will give this a try – the more people who
come, the more special the atmosphere. It’s a very different sort of service.
If you play an instrument or sing and you’d like to learn
some of our tunes so you can take part, you’re very welcome to join in.
Rehearsals are very informal and enthusiasm is more important than talent,
because this is about worship and not performance. Everyone should be able to
take part in whatever way they want to. Please contact me to find out more: david@shirchadash.org.uk.
We also now have a CD out so you can hear what our music
sounds like. There are some samples on our website: www.shirchadash.org.uk. You can buy a copy at the Synagogue or from me
by email.
Plus you can find us on facebook: www.facebook.com/shirchadashmanchester
I hope to see you soon at a Shir Chadash service!
David Hoffman
And there's a very special Shir Chadash service coming soon (March 27th) More details in the next blog update.
Shabbat shalom, everyone. (Three scrolls tomorrow!)
