Thank God It's Friday!: The Music of Shabbat

Russell Ashley (Performer), Samuel Cohen (Composer), Goldfarb (Composer), George Frederick Handel (Composer), Louis Lewandowski (Composer), Felix [1] Mendelssohn (Composer), Salomon Sulzer (Composer), Jewish Traditional (Composer), Mary Jane Newman (Performer), David Ossenfort (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Russell Ashley, Mary Jane Newman, David Ossenfort
• Composer: Samuel Cohen, Goldfarb, George Frederick Handel, Louis Lewandowski, Felix [1] Mendelssohn, et al.
• Audio CD (November 18, 1997)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Vox (Classical)
• ASIN: B000001KF3
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #116,218 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classical Liturgical, January 17, 2001

By 

tzefirah "tzefirah" (Media, PA United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Thank God It's Friday!: The Music of Shabbat (Audio CD)

This is stunning liturgical music, with several variations of a few of the Shabbat favorites (HaTikvah, Ve'ahavta, etc.). The chorus is remarkable, and the soloists bring tears to my eyes. And yet no one and no instruments stand out above the music itself. I highly recommend this CD, and I will be buying several more copies to give as gifts.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Poignant musical celebration of the holiness of Shabbat, November 21, 2005

By 

Sarah - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Thank God It's Friday!: The Music of Shabbat (Audio CD)

Thank God It's Friday has a completely different meaning for Jews. Sure, it's the end of the work week, but it's also a sacred time to devote ourselves to exploring our relationship with G-d. Depending on the branch of Judaism, anything from turning on the lights, turning the key in the ignition, or even writing falls under the 39 categories of forbidden work. Eighteen minutes before sunset, the Shabbat candles are lit and blessed, and the evening and next day is "a rest of love freely given, a rest of truth and sincerity, a rest in peace and tranquility, in quietude and safety." Shabbat has been likened to a bride (Shabbat ha-Kallah) and queen (Shabbat ha-Malkah), immortalized in Solomon ben Moses HaLvi Alkabets' poem L'kha Dodi.

Jews have always used music in worship (Psalm 150 is a good example); in the First and Second Temples, the Levites engaged in vocal and instrumental music, with the liturgy being sung chorally. Jewish liturgical music rapidly came into its own during the Middle Ages, with Sephardic music being strongly influenced by the Muslim occupation. The Reform movement sought to incorporate organ and trained choirs based on German Protestantism, and this is the sound present on "Thank God It's Friday."

There are 24 beautiful tracks, some instrumental (Shalom Aleichem, V'ahavta, Hatikvah), some with soloists (V'ahavta, L'cha Dodi, Aleinu, Va'Nachnu, Kiddush, Kedusha), and many with organ and full choir. This CD brought tears to my eyes with its beautiful, uplifting renditions of sacred songs, the combination of violin, organ, flute and full choir sounding very rich. Although other reviewers have mentioned the "echoey" sound, I didn't notice it at all. An absolute bargain for the current price, and a wonderful gift for those who love Jewish, classical, or liturgical choral music. Shabbat shalom!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous music, but problems with the recording, March 10, 2003

By 

Stuart Dolnick "stoooo" (Appleton, WI USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Thank God It's Friday!: The Music of Shabbat (Audio CD)

The selections, arrangements, and performances are all first-rate. However, the recording was made in the "Great Hall", and that's quite obvious: a lot of echo, and the feeling that you're in the back of a very large hall. The cuts available online will show you exactly what I mean.