From: Sally Bradshaw
Subject: Bar Mitzveh songs
To: VOCALIST <vocalist>
Send reply to: VOCALIST <vocalist>

I have sung twice at bar-mitzvehs and both times I sang Handel arias from
his Old Testament oratorios, one from Joshua "Oh had I Jubal's Lyre" which
worked very well as it is so joyous and affirmative, and once from
Belshazzar's Feast ( or is it Solomon), "Regard o Son"This one, being a
mother's prayer for her son, seemed particularly apt. There is also "Israel
in Egypt" and Haydn's "Creation" etc or what about "Hear ye Israel" from
Mendelssohn's "Elijah". There are many oratorios based on the Old Testament
rather than the New and they are a good source of Jewish votive pieces.
There is also a song-cycle by Dvorak called Old Testament Songs which is
settings of extracts from the Psalms. One or other of those would be very
good. Also an art song I recently found by Gideon Klein which is actually a
lullaby in Hebrew. It is called Ukolebavka.

Good Luck

Songful