Evening Prayer

"In Your House." The Israelites envisioned a great Temple where God’s presence might reside. I dreamed of a manor home, at the end of a smooth, earthen path, at the end of which arose a great wooden door. One needed only to approach the door, and it would swing open. Entering the house, one would finally be able to sense, in all manners of means, the Glory of God. For me, the journey to God’s house is a metaphor for life’s journey toward and holy and sacred life, fulfilling God’s commandment in Leviticus 19:1: “You shall be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy.”

"The Lord is My Shepherd." A setting of Psalm 23, this was the first song that I wrote in this genre. I composed the chorus quickly, but it was nearly a year before the verse appeared. Distinctly flavored with country and gospel, it set the tone for the remainder of the compositions on this album.

"Entreat Me Not to Leave You. " This is Ruth’s song of love, devotion and loyalty to her mother-in-law, Naomi. Ruth is one of my heroes. She was not an Israelite, and yet her story comprises one of the books of Bible. For me, the lesson is that one’s character, rather than beliefs or nationality, is what defines the person.

"Brothers and Sisters." One of the three songs on the album with the same theme, I wanted to compose a bright little piece about interfaith and interracial relationship. I might have used the word “tolerance,” but a dear friend of mine, John Sherwood, reminded me that “tolerating” each other is not enough, if we are seeking true understanding.

"Halleluyah." The word, “Halleluyah” is a combination of two Hebrew words: “Hal’lu,” which means “Praise,” and “Yah,” which is a contraction of the Hebrew four-letter name of God, which is not pronounced. I tried to create a sense of awe and reverence, contrasting the omnipotence of God with sense of personal familiarity with which many people turn to God in difficult times.

"If the Lord Wasn’t There." Okay, so it’s a morality piece. I do not apologize. Such things only become banal when repetition has ceased to be necessary. In my life, I have not noticed a lack of necessity.

"One Human Family." We have the ability to bring peace on earth, and live in perfect happiness and harmony. All we have to do is acknowledge our common ancestry, and treat each other as family (I admit, this is not a perfect metaphor. I have watched daytime television).

"Watching Over Us." God as an optimist. I believe that God has granted us free will, and believes that, ultimately, we will make the right choices.

"Evening Prayer." We, as optimists. With the darkness comes the belief that the dawn of the new day will also bring the dawn of a new age, one of peace, brotherhood, and universal acknowledgement of God, however each individual perceives God.

"God of All." A setting of the Jewish Prayer, “Adon Olam,” which means, “Lord of everything.” In the original Hebrew, the prayer is perfectly metric, which means that the words can be sung to almost any song. Because of this, it has been sung, quite irreverently. One evening, I was overtaken by the beauty of the text, and resolved to treat it appropriately.