T’fillah
Text: Jewish evening liturgy
When I was in seminary in Jerusalem, our cantorial class was charged to set prayer songs in the proper nusakh hat’fillah (Jewish musical modes). I took it upon myself to write a new M’khalkeil khayim that wasn’t the Wohlberg setting sung around the world. I wanted to write a march to suggest the power of God and I worked the piece over and over with the help of Cantor Chayim Feifel and got it to a place that I liked.
When Steven Sher asked me to be his composer-in-residence (see Mi Khamokha), I revived the piece and aimed to make it a part of a larger introduction to the T’fillah for Shabbat evening.
Learning from Cantor Abraham Levitt (of blessed memory), I wanted to write an Avot v’Imahot that started out in the Adonai Malakh mode, as most Reform congregations chant this prayer, but concludes in the Magein Avot mode, which is the traditional mode of the repetition of the T’fillah on Friday evening. This is why the Avot v’Imahot ends on the fifth of the chord.
The Kedushat Hashem which concludes the piece is a slight homage to Erik Satie’s Gymnopedies. This text, while not often chanted even in Reform congregations, gives a seal to this part of the formal entrance into God’s presence at this point of the service.
Eternal God, open my lips that my mouth may declare Your glory.
Praised be the Eternal One, our God, God of our fathers and our mothers: God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob, God of Sarah, God of Rebekah, God of Leah and God of Rachel, great, mighty, and awesome, Exalted God, You bestow love and kindness on all Your children. You remember the devotion of ages past. With love You bring redemption to their descendants for the sake of Your name. You are our Ruler and Helper our Savior and Protector. We praise You, Eternal One, Shield of Abraham, Protector of Sarah.
Eternal is Your might, O God, all life is Your gift, great is Your power to save: With love You sustain the living, You give life to all in great compassion. You send help to the falling, and heal the sick, You bring freedom to the captive and keep faith with those who sleep in the dust. Who is like You, Master of Might? Who is Your equal, O God of life and death, Source of salvation? And You are faithful to bring life to all. We praise You, Eternal One, the Source of life.
You are holy, Your name is holy, and those who strive for holiness sing Your praises day by day. We praise You, Eternal One, the holy God.
Teach My Lips a Blessing
the music of Erik Contzius
