Cantor Helfgot sings..... Shlomo Carlebach?

This evening I came across an interesting video of Cantor Helfgot, Chief Cantor of the Park East Synagogue in New York City, international Chazzanut concert performer and possibly the most hyped Chazzan of our time.

Instead of his usual chazzanut classics like Zibert's "Mimkomcha," Kwartin's "Tiher Rabbi Yishmael," and Rosenblatt's "Ad Hena", he took on Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach's Moshe Ve'Aharon from Kabbalat Shabbat.



 Some of the most memorable Kabbalat Shabbat's of my life were spent with my good friend Danny Weinstein at Brandeis University, who introduced me (and many others) to a true Carlebach service.

Glad to see a professional chazzan perform a contemporary piece which speaks to those who have been moved by Carlebach's music.

Evolution of my personal קבלת שבת Kabbalat Shabbat

I believe that every prayer leader should strive to create an atmosphere of awe, beauty and inspiration through singing.

As I sang the words of the Maariv service this past Friday in Olney, MD I found myself overcome with appreciation for the life long vocal journey that has lead me to where I am today. While I am still far from where I yearn to be vocally, my voice has broken through to a new level.

וּמַעֲבִיר יום וּמֵבִיא לָיְלָה. וּמַבְדִּיל בֵּין יום וּבֵין לָיְלָה. ה' צְבָאות שְׁמו. אֵל חַי וְקַיָּם תָּמִיד יִמְלוךְ עָלֵינוּ לְעולָם וָעֶד: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה', הַמַּעֲרִיב עֲרָבִים"

Over the last 8 years, the feedback I have gotten regarding my singing voice has gone from "you are a good Baal Tefilla" to "wow! Where did you learn to sing like that?". There is still a very long journey ahead, but uncovering my singing voice's nature has been an alchemy of sorts.

I have been studying with the one and only (truly) Rabbi Cantor Don Roberts since around 2005. Singing is like building a skyscraper. There is no trick, technique, or other type of short cut to building a throat. It takes years and years of perseverance under a proper mentor.

While I don't expect to ever enter the realm of my Cantorial heroes like Yossele Rosenblatt (יוסלה רוזנבלט) or Cantor Benzion Miller (בֶּן צִיּוֹן מילר), I can somewhat seriously entertain the prospect of singing professionally as a Cantor and/or Opera singer and getting a glimpse of being a professional singer is far more than I could have ever imagined.

The Voice Teacher- Rabbi/Cantor Donald Neil Roberts

Let me tell you about Rabbi/Cantor Don Roberts, my Voice Teacher, for the last decade. Don teaches some of the greatest Cantorial talents of our time. He also teaches an impressive roster of classical singers and pop singers. He is the best kept secret in Voice Pedagogy and has completely transformed the way I approach the Voice and singing in general. Here is a documentary called "The Voice Teacher", that was put together by one of his students, Daniel Mendelson, son of another long time student, Cantor Jack Mendelson (see "A Cantor's Tale")

Virtual Cantor- Nussach Library

For those of you that want a free resource for basic traditional Nussach (tunes), visit Virtual Cantor.

It has MP3's for just about every prayer you may want to learn. This site is ideal for a novice Cantor. If you are training to be a professional cantor you probably would want something else. Enjoy and have a great weekend, all!

A Cantor's Tale- Improvised Cantorial Choir

This morning I came across a video of the great Cantor Jacob Ben-Zion Mendelson from Temple Israel in White Planes in New York. In the middle of this video he illustrates how he can get any group of musically inclined people to be a cantorial choir and experience cantorial music in a meaningful way that doesn't put them to sleep. Give it a try! You may be surprised.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUgFZFFs1tE