There Will Always Be Singing
This song was inspired by Bertholdt Brecht who asked: “In the dark time will there also be singing… “ I composed this at the beginning of Covid and went out into the streets singing it with a group of friends
Vocalists: Reed Fromer Jennifer Karno, Ellen Robinson Talia Cooper Jeremy Carter Achi Ben Shalom
The Grandmother’s Song
Fiddle: Laurie Lewis Ukeleles/Bass: Bobby Cohen Drums: Roger A. Smith
Not Your Mother’s Lullaby
( A mashup of Mother Goose and old time lullabies)
Guitars, bass, Wurlitzer: Bobby Cohen
Modim (Gratitude)
A song of gratitude and hope from daily prayers
12 string Guitar: Bobby Cohen Mandolin and Flutes: David Weigens
Jephtha’s Daughter’s Lament
The Giladite general, Jeptha, ostracized from his community because his mother was supposedly a prostitute, makes a vow that he will sacrifice the first thing he sees if he can win the battle for the Giladites agains the Ammonites. He wins and is greeted by his daughter first thing. She goes off with her women friends to their special mountain retreat. The Talmud mentions the festival of the four days that women held back then in honor of Jeptha’s daughter. (She is never named)
Vocalists: Jennifer Karno, Talia Cooper. Percussion: Marquinho Brasil
Hear My Prayers (Psalm 4)
Vocalists: Talia Cooper, Elizabeth Stuart, Jeff Wessman, Jeremy Carter, Achi Ben Shalom, Ann Ben Shalom, Andrew Gordon Kirsch Guitar: Achi Ben Shalom Guitar: Achi Ben Shalom
Even in Heaven
Piano/acoustic guitar, cello/strings:Marc Poelhuber Flute solo: Helga Shleeh. Keyoards: Steve Carter
My good friend, the artist and poet Susan Felix, (Z”L) was married to her beloved Mort for 54 years. After he passed, their daughter Lisa Smartt began to transcribe love poems that Lisa felt she was receiving from Mort to her mother and gathered them all in her book Veil: Poems from Across the Threshold.
The poems inspired me to compose this song.
Kol D’Mama (The Still small Voice)
I wrote this when I was undergoing radiation for breast cancer. I am not by nature a still person. Singing this in my mind during the treatment helped me to be still. The phrase comes from the story of the prophet Elijah who is fleeing from the wrath of Queen Jezebel. He is dejected and looking for God. But God was not fto be found in earthquakes, fire, windstorms or thunder. God is in our own stillness, our own silence.
Bass: Steve Carter Viola: Pemi Paull…, Percussion: Marquinho Brasil
Be My Light (Psalm 27)
Piano: Stephen Glass Flutes: David Weigens
Full Circle
This song comes from an earlier recording (HeartBeat) that I made with Vocolot (My Jewish Women’s Acapella ensemble) included here with a new last verse
Vocalists: Ellen Robinson, Jennifer Karno, Elizabeth Stuart, Judith Kate Friedman Aiison Lewis
Thorns and Roses
This beautiful song was written by my brother Larry Hirschhorn from his play “Grieving Aaron” about the death of his eldest son Aaron Hirschhorn in 2020
Keyboards: Steve Carter Viola: Charmain Louis
