SINGING THE CHICHESTER PSALMS IN A JOINT JEWISH AND CHRISTIAN CHOIR

CDSP has a music director called George. At CDSP the music director isn't a student but an outside musician who is also music director at a nearby Episcopal church. George's church, St Mark's, is the one known for it's good music and choir - the one that I've been to several times including in Holy Week, and the one I led Evensong in and preached at in December.

George also helps out with the music and choir at a Jewish synagogue in a neighbouring town. Apparently he'd had a dream for ages of bringing the two choirs together to sing the Chichester Psalms. A good friend at CDSP (Kevin, who sang in the cathedral choir for years) and I were invited to sing with the combined choir. There were about 80+ of us combined.


Evensong at St. Mark's
The Sunday before Palm Sunday, St Mark's held an evensong that the Jewish community were invited to. We used prayers that didn't mention Christ or the Trinity. For instance the opening sentence was something like "The Holy One is in our midst. Come let us worship". From what I remember we just had an OT reading and sang hymns (one from a joint Jewish and Christian hymn book?) instead of the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis. The Chichester Psalms came as the anthem. It was really moving - especially singing the last lines "Behold how good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity". At the end, the rector of St Marks and the synagogue Cantor said the blessing from Numbers (The Lord bless you and keep you...). The Rector said a line in English then the Cantor sang it in Hebrew. It was beautiful! I was watching some of the Jewish members of the choir looking at the stained glass windows depicting OT stories, and the crosses and crucifixes in the church.

Shabbat Service at Temple Sinai

The following Friday evening, the joint choir sang at the Shabbat service at Temple Sinai, Oakland. The building both outside and inside was beautiful and so was the music! A lot of it was sung and it reminded me more of the music I sang in church when I was younger - more modern than traditional hymns - more guitar chord based and not lacking in beauty. Some of the songs were very joyful and dance like and we clapped along and almost danced and the percussionist was having a great time! I LOVED it. I wish more church music could be like that! There was a fairly big turn out from CDSP. In this service, the Chichester Psalms served as the sermon. The Jewish treble sang the solo of the 23rd psalm beautifully!