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"SING TO THE LORD A NEW SONG..." |
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| N.B.: A WinZip
(.zip) archive (17.9 MB) containing a PowerPoint Presentation (.ppt) and
sound files (.mp3) summarizing the historical and musical background to Suzanne
Haïk-Vantoura's work may be downloaded via
this link. |
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Of all the works comprising the "music of the Bible", those that most naturally
come to mind are the Psalms. These formed
the "hymn book" (to use a somewhat misleading phrase) of ancient Israel and of later Judaism, as well
as of early and later Christianity.
The Psalter, however, is only one of three books which use the psalmodic system of te`amim (the other
two being Proverbs and the body of Job). What do these three books have in common, that the same musical system
would be used to express them? And do Proverbs and Job show the same musical expressiveness that the Psalms do?
The answers may surprise you!Before we look at these answers, the
reader should be made aware of some resources... |
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REVIEW (IN
FRENCH) BY DENISE JOURDAN-HEMMERDINGER (PDF) |
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The French musicologist,
Hellenist and CRNS research fellow Denise Jourdan-Hemmerdinger
published a review of Suzanne Haïk-Vantoura's melody-only scores
Les 150 Psaumes (Institution Roi David), which appeared in the
French journal Revue des études juives. For those who are
able to read French, I have provided the review here in PDF format.
It is given first in its complete form (especially for those with
broadband connections), then page by page (to assist those with
dial-up connections). The complete PDF file is also included on
The
Biblical Chant Library. |
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Review
(All) |
Review (p. 1) |
Review (p. 2) |
Review (p. 3) |
Review (p. 4) |
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Review (p. 5) |
Review (p. 6) |
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SCORES BY EDITIONS CHOUDENS (CD-ROM) |
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As of August 2004, all the scores by Editions Choudens (including the Supplement to Volume 2, long missing from my personal
collection) were made available on The Biblical Chant Library CD-ROM, produced by the author of this Web site.
As of January 2005, this author is in negotiations with
Editions Choudens and other parties for licensing arrangements.
Until these arrangements are settled, The Biblical Chant Library
cannot be made available for commercial purposes.
Those interested in ordering other items from
King David's Harp, Inc., may download this order form (PDF). You will need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to read and print this form (click
on the button on the above left). |
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Here is a letter from the Personal Correspondence Department files
of the Worldwide Church of God, before it turned into the Protestant mainstream. It is the only such letter I can
say is based on information I supplied to the Church. More letters describing the Church's teachings (up to 1986
or at most a few years later) may be found at this Web site.
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WORLDWIDE CHURCH OF GOD
PASADENA CALIFORNIA 91123
JOSEPH W. TKACH
PASTOR GENERAL
February 1988
Dear Friend:
You asked about the word "selah" as found in the Psalms and the book of Habakkuk.
Since the time the Old Testament was translated into the Greek language, about 270 B.C., many have suggested a
number of possible meanings for this word. Because the Psalms were written as songs, most scholars today believe
that "selah" was not a part of the sung text. They believe that it was a direction for the musicians
about repeating verses, playing interludes, tuning the instruments, and so on.
In the French book "The Music of the Bible Revealed," by Suzanne Haïk-Vantoura, however, we find
an explanation which seems to fit every use of the word in the Bible. The author, who is a Jewish music student,
concludes that "selah" was part of the sung text and not an instruction to the players. While she does
not define the word itself, her work does suggest that "selah" is similar to the word amen at the end
of a prayer. The purpose would be to emphasize the truth or seriousness of a passage.
Whenever we may assist you further with your study of the Bible, we hope you will
let us know. It is our pleasure to serve you.
PERSONAL CORRESPONDENCE DEPARTMENT
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| Updated June 05, 2008
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