SARA MANASSEH
Poetry and Music in Shbahoth: The Muwashshah in
Babylonian Jewish Paraliturgical Song
by Sara Manasseh [London]
ABSTRACT: This presentation arises from material I have sung and heard, in the
company of family and friends, from my earliest days; from work done for my
Masters dissertation during the 1980s; from material performed and recorded
with my group Rivers of Babylon, which I formed in 1999; and more recently in
compiling a collection of shbahoth – literally ‘praises’ – in the form of a
book showing the poetic texts (in Hebrew, English translation and
transliteration) and musical notations, and with an accompanying CD, a project
supported by the JMI (Jewish Music Institute, London) Millennium Awards and the
AHRC.
Essentially a sociable genre, shbahoth are paraliturgical hymns sung at home or
in the synagogue, on Sabbaths, festivals and life cycle celebrations. In most
cases, when sung in context on a religious occasion (Sabbath, Holy Days,
major festivals), they are performed by voices alone, unaccompanied by
instruments, as the playing of instruments on these days is forbidden in
orthodox Jewish practice. When performed at other events, such as life cycle
occasions on a week day, or for entertainment, they may be accompanied by
instruments.
The poetic texts and their musical treatment is the focus of the paper.
The material may be heard on the internet, for example on:
<www.piyut.org.il>
[mainly in Hebrew, but click on ‘English’ to access information in
English]
and also on CDs from:
<www.saramanasseh.com>
<www.riversofbabylon.com>
<www.midrash.org>