New Classical Tracks: 'Cherished Moments: Songs of the Jewish Spirit'

Cherished Moments: Songs of the Jewish Spirit - Judith Clurman/Essential Voices USA (Sono Luminus DSL-92182)

"I think I've wanted to make this sort of CD my entire life," says Judith Clurman, conductor of the ensemble, Essential Voices USA. "There's a lot of music that's in my soul and in my mind from first going to synagogue. I have memories from about age 3 and I always loved the music."

Clurman and Essential Voices USA have just released a stunning collection of music titled Cherished Moments: Songs of the Jewish Spirit.

"This CD was made because I needed to record 'Songs of Freedom: A Celebration of Chanukah'," Clurman says. "I had an idea about 10 years ago that I wanted to have a good medley of Chanukah tunes composed, the same way many pop orchestras perform the 'Many Moods of Christmas' of Robert Shaw and Robert Russell Bennett. I was prepping choruses for the New York Pops and the executive director came to me and said we need something. So I put my thinking cap on and I said, 'OK, we need to do this.'

"I put a medley together which tells the story of Chanukah. It begins with 'Oh Chanukah, Oh Chanukah,' which was originally a Yiddish folk melody. And it really says what happens on the holiday. We're celebrating by lighting the menorah, we're dancing, and we're singing. The next piece is 'S'Vivon.' 'S'Vivon' is an old folk melody — it describes the spinning of the dreidel. The next is 'Lichvod Ha Chanukah,' another folk melody. The solo baritone sings this. It describes the parents lighting the menorah and cooking potato pancakes. Moving on, we go to 'Mi Y'Maleil,' another folk melody. It is a setting of a Psalm: 'Who could retell the mighty acts of God?' Next, 'Ha Neirot Halalu,' which I think is my favorite."

Throughout her musical career, Judith Clurman has focused on combining the old with the new. She says it's kind of like going to a Chinese restaurant. You draw ideas from all parts of the menu. "I programmed and thought about all ages of people listening," she says. "In the end, I got a good flow on this CD, and it tells the story and combines music of the Jewish holidays and that of the life cycle: birth, coming of age, marriage and death. The Jews are a group of people that have survived for generations … so this goes from a Babylonian melody that we all sing at the beginning of a Passover Seder, all the way through a newly commissioned piece."

In 2004, Judith and her sister commissioned Paul Schoenfield to compose a piece in memory of their parents. "I knew he'd be the best person to set one of my favorite texts, 'Al Hanisim,' which is both a Chanukah text and a Purim text," Clurman says. "It expresses gratitude to God for performing miracles that allowed Jewish people to survive. Paul wrote a crackerjack piano part and a wonderful vocal part. The chorus loves singing this piece. And he is the pianist on this recording. And everyone loves this piece — it's becoming a favorite for anyone who listens to the recording."

One of my favorites on this recording, is a piece written for the Sabbath. The text comes from the end of the Kaddish prayer. Clurman says this piece is one that really sticks with her as well. "'Oseh Shalom' is a folk melody written by Debbie Friedman, who was a pioneer in the folk movement in the U.S. And I feel her contribution is as strong as that of the 19th-century cantors. And I had a newly commissioned arrangement for the CD," she explains.

"I made this recording because I love this repertoire. I thought about my legacy and I wanted to have a good time making this recording with some crackerjack singers. But there's one moment that really sticks out, 'Oseh Shalom,' a text which means, 'May the one who makes peace in the heavens make peace for us and for all of Israel and let us say amen.' And I thought about my son and I thought about how I hope he will live in a world of peace. That was the most poignant moment for me."

Judith Clurman leading Essential Voices USA in "Cherished Moments: Songs of the Jewish Spirit." A celebration of the Jewish holidays with that of the cycle of life.

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