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Florentine Presents: Carols & Classics

So last night I went to a concert the event was well organized and maintained. As nearly a

thousand people, most modern Orthodox Jews, and several individuals with personal links with

Rabbi Carlebach had gathered. This was taken by many married young adults and an equitable

allocation of older couples for a meaningful night's sleep. The Saturday evening event demanded

relaxed attire, which mirrored its overall soothing atmosphere. The audience was tangible as I

took my seat in the Red Velvet Lined Pews. At the beginning of the concert, the lights dimmed

reminiscent of feelings and nostalgia that pervaded the night. The sound level, though, stayed

like a distinct hum all night long as people felt relaxed and uninhibited enough to chat openly

during the concert. The concert started with the traditional Sabbath ceremony of Milwaukee, WI.

This track was a brief, vibrant piece inspired by devotional texts and folk melodies as well as

everything subsequently performed. A warm acoustic guitar puts the tone in front, producing a

vibrant and flowing groove with plenty of accompanying beats. With the rest of the band joining,

the music that began with a basic single melody led by a piece of prominent ancient music soon

became even more complex. As the groove grew more and more the Chinese flute, Ancient

Egyptian harp, etc. increased sharply. The level grew and then the crowd clapped happily in a

matter of minutes. Some left their seats on the open floor of the band to dance in circles. Indeed,

it was welcomed to join. The cymbals twisted in the background and added a counterpoint to

their repetitive song harmony to their offbeat pace. A tambourine sounded from within the

crowd. I went to see a senior man in the row carrying a twinkly tool high in front of me, shaking

it with the beat. This spontaneous "collaboration" did not throw away the singers but

strengthened the atmosphere because the distance between the crowd and the artists was blurring.
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Higgins, Jim. “Coming to a Screen near You: What Rep, Skylight, Ballet and Other Performers

Plan in December.”  Milwaukee Journal Sentinel,

The music was much older as it was 19-century music, but people enjoyed it. Starting with

a powerful satirical print of a celebrated performer opening, a second song started. The base

theme was put in a key, with the notes as the song continued. The shakers applied to the song in

the background a slight rhythm. Along with other instruments, the satirical print of a celebrated

performer was seated while working on a solo on the Chinese Flute. The Flute several times

echoed the original theme and did not add too many new variations or deviate from the original

tune. As, in the 19th century, if the theorist is described as describing the sense, the musicians

themselves were hardly theoreticians. The Music theory was likely to be a professional handbook

for a vocal or instrumental performance, a collection of instructions to conform with an existing

church and/or theatre needs, or a misguided defense of change if it was anything more than a

presentation of the common or evolving type. Prolific masters like Johann Sebastian Bach

created art monuments rather than educated tracts. The next song started with Jewish shofar, a

distinct folk sound less abrasive than the previous noisy and thrilling albums. This song was

characterized by a twangy pitch and an off-kilter beat. The chorus was introduced by percussion

in full effect. After a round, it accelerated and the sax incorporated whirls, rapidly climbed, and

dropped into pitch, and produced dissonance. The singers muttered portions of the song and

substituted the more traditional vocal arrangements. A calming song picked up at the Jewish

shofar which marked one of the last songs of the evening offered a quiet tone that was a contrast

to the remaining noisy night. The voices grew somewhat but the base melody remained faithful

and its consonant calming consistency. The flute then intercepted moving scales, as cymbals
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with sharp rings accentuated the high notes. Guitar sprung into, bringing more quickness,

changing the song in its final minutes from contemplative to swift.

Higgins, Jim. “Coming to a Screen near You: What Rep, Skylight, Ballet and Other Performers

Plan in December.”  Milwaukee Journal Sentinel,

Some drawbacks from the concert

The stage was a selection of singers, both males, and females, who were all dressed in black

save the soloist who was glamorous in her night-robe appearance. It was an incredible vision to

see. The members made the atmosphere more beautiful. Various musical instruments existed –

large and tiny, small, and big. Though I knew not all of them, they were Jewish shofar, Chinese

flutist, Roman water organ, and others, which I could quickly recognize. The deafening applause

at the end of the concert and a bouquet given to the soloist meant that I would talk in the crowd.

We have always been at our knees. We have all been. There was a professional environment. I

am still thinking old-fashioned, colloquial orchestra pop. Now I remember that in the concert we

learned the ideas, design, and texture during class these past weeks. I was just sad that I could

not take photographs of the actors on stage; I could not capture the concert for my amusement

later. It was excellent results. I have been thoroughly satisfied and expect future concerts. Yet I

did and longed for even more. I did not feel that I could sit at this concert. I do not know what an

expert is going to say, I do not know, but my level of a beginner was phenomenal. Two men used

to play and sing in a deep octave in a higher octave and a backup singer performing. It seems to

me that most of the parts use the telephone and answer. The lower-octave male would sing and

when he finished the higher-octave male would chant and systematically alternate. This was not

a free music type, but lovely. When singers sing, the passions in their voice can be sensed, but

even their gestures can be seen. I have never seen this musical style done and the building for an
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acoustic experience. But the thing I did not like about the concert was the food. I did not like the

collection of food they had given and as there was a huge audience the space was so small

considering the number of audiences.

Higgins, Jim. “Coming to a Screen near You: What Rep, Skylight, Ballet and Other Performers

Plan in December.”  Milwaukee Journal Sentinel,