 |
 |
 Composer Ben Steinberg to Present Work at HUC-JIR/Cincinnati As part of the Union for Reform Judaism's Mifgash Musicale, composer Ben Steinberg will be conducting a performance of his work The Three Festivals on Tuesday, July 29, 2008 at 7:30 PM in the S.H. and Helen R. Scheuer Chapel on the Cincinnati campus of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR). Mifgash Musicale (Hebrew for Musical Gathering) is a joint program of the Union for Reform Judaism and HUC-JIR and is designed for synagogue musicians (singers, accompanists and choir directors) who have some experience leading worship but want to engage in more in-depth study of liturgy and repertoire for holidays, cantillation (signs to guide the chanting of the sacred texts), nusach (the style of a prayer service or the melody of the service depending on when the service is being conducted.) and choral conducting. Classes are taught at the historic Cincinnati campus of HUC-JIR by experts in the field of Jewish music from HUC-JIR, the American Conference of Cantors, the Guild of Temple Musicians, and the Union for Reform Judaism. Students have the opportunity to participate in master classes and receive individualized coaching from the faculty. The Three Festivals, a cantata for children's chorus, narrator, choir and instrumental ensemble, was commissioned by Los Angeles' University Synagogue and first performed there on February 7, 1992 under the composer's directions. The work contains elements of Jewish modality, nusach hat'filah, traditional chant, and instrumental sounds evocative of Biblical times. It is a celebration of the festivals of Pesach, Shavuot, and Sukkot, principally through the voices of children who listen, repeat, and ultimately teach the lessons of observance and understanding associated with these festivals. The performance is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Carri at outreach@huc.edu or (513) 487-3053. The S.H. and Helen R. Scheuer Chapel is located in the Cecil W. Herrman Learning Center on the campus of HUC-JIR at 3101 Clifton Ave. The performance is sponsored by the Union for Reform Judaism, the Guild of Temple Musicians and HUC-JIR. Founded in 1875, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion is the nation's oldest institution of higher Jewish education and the academic, spiritual, and professional leadership development center of Reform Judaism. HUC-JIR educates men and women for service to American and world Jewry as rabbis, cantors, educators, and communal service professionals, and offers graduate and post-graduate programs to scholars of all faiths. With centers of learning in Cincinnati, Jerusalem, Los Angeles, and New York, HUC-JIR's scholarly resources comprise renowned library and museum collections, the American Jewish Archives, biblical archaeology excavations, research institutes and centers, and academic publications. HUC-JIR invites the community to an array of cultural and educational programs which illuminate Jewish history, identity, and contemporary creativity and which foster interfaith and multiethnic understanding. Visit us at www.huc.edu |
