New Jewish Liturgical Music festival set for this weekend

The Gazette
June 10, 2004

The international nonprofit foundation Shalshelet will sponsor its annual Festival of New Jewish Liturgical Music that celebrates new musical compositions for traditional Jewish prayers. The event will feature a concert at 8 p.m. Saturday and workshops at 1.30 to 5 p.m. Sunday in Temple Shalom, 8401 Grubb Road, Chevy Chase.

Cantor Dr. Ramón Tasat of Silver Spring and Norma Brooks of Chevy Chase founded Shalshelet (Hebrew for “chain”) two years ago.
“We worked out of our homes on a shoestring budget”, Brooks recalls. “This was only a dream two years ago –a dream based on our belief that there were these little gems out there that had no venue to be heard.”

Brooks says the festival is unique in its inclusiveness.

“Every Jewish denomination and every person regardless of age can have their voice heard”, she explains. “This is truly open to anyone who has a gift for melody and a connection to sacred text.”

Festival winners, composers Cantor Terry S. Horowit of Rockville and Wendy Morrison of Silver Spring, and performers –including Cantor Rochelle Helzner of Chevy Chase, Steve Bloom of Silver Spring, Eugenia Shiuk of Gaithersburg and Temple Shalom’s Shir Shalom choir– will present 32 new compositions including tunes for congregational singing, cantorial solos and choral pieces.

Tickets –$35, $30 in advance; concert-only $25, $20 in advance; workshops only, $15, free, ages 16 and younger– can be purchased at www.Shalshelet.org . Call 301-588-7768 or e-mail Shalshelet@NewJewishMusic.com.

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