Ernest Bloch’s Avodath Ha-Kodesh: A Synopsis and Detailed Program Note

The October 2023 issue of Choral Journal is online and features an article titled “Ernest Bloch’s Avodath Ha-Kodesh: A Synopsis and Detailed Program Note” by Seth Ward. Following is a portion from the article.
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Ernest Bloch’s Avodath Ha-Kodesh: The Sacred Service easily ranks among the Hebrew-language major works performed most often in North America. It is part of the repertoire of symphonies and choral organizations that rarely perform any other Hebrew choral music. Its powerful drama, devotion, and sense of sanctity and celebration speak to wide audiences, as do its calls for peace and universal brotherhood. Many of these audiences, however, and often the music directors and performers themselves, are unfamiliar with the Hebrew worship service, its elements, and how they relate to the music.

This synopsis is edited from an article published by the author in 2003,1 informed most recently by discussions with members of the Westminster Choir of the Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church in Denver, Colorado, and its conductor, Montview’s Minister of Music Adam Waite, prior to their performance of the Bloch Sacred Service in April 2023. These discussions suggested that conductors, performers, and audiences would greatly appreciate a detailed program note providing a guide to each of the Sacred Service’s five parts, with comments on the music, explanations of the synagogue ritual, as well as biblical references in the text (since these are not given in the score).

The baritone in this performance was Arik Luck, the Cantor of Congregation Emanu-El in San Francisco, which had commissioned the work almost one hundred years ago. Adam Waite and Cantor Luck reviewed the following program note; I am grateful for their edits. It is offered here in the hope that it will be useful for symphonies and choral organizations preparing this piece. The remainder of this article may be used as a program note for performance, with proper attribution of author and publication.

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Read the full article in the October 2023 issue of Choral Journal. acda.org/choraljournal