HAYOM HARAT OLAM (Motet)
by Michael Reid Winikoff
Mixed Choir (SATB) A Cappella
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DURATION: 2:40
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THE PRAYER - Hayom Harat Olam - “Today the world is born. Today all creatures stand in judgment….” This passage occurs three times in the repetition of the Musaf ("Additional" service) of Rosh Hashanah, concluding each of the three themed sections “Malchuyot,” “Zichronot,” and “Shofrot” (verses of “Sovereignty,” “Remembrance,” and “Revelation”). It conveys many of the universalist themes of the New Year as the anniversary of Creation, the occasion of our individual and collective spiritual re-birth, and the Day of Judgment for all creatures.
THE MUSIC - This a
cappella motet setting, in contrast to the
separate Anthem setting of this text, is tranquil, profoundly
introspective, and modest in tone. Set in a complex polyphonic
texture reminiscent of late Renaissance and early Baroque motets, its
somber and evocative coloration is rooted in the nuschaot
(chant modes) of the High Holy Days.
PERFORMANCE - The challenge of this work lies not in
its vocal demands, which are not excessive, but rather in its complex
countrapuntal texture, which demands purity and beauty of tone, shaping
of line and exacting sense of rhythm; and in its occasional chromatic
passages, which call for scrupulous accuracy of pitch. The
approach should be sustained throughout, and the tempo not rushed.
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Hayom harat olam |
Today the universe is born. |