Cantorials

Cantorials are musical settings of prayers and other liturgical selections used in Jewish services and sung by the cantor, often with elaborate embellishments and flourishes. Although singing is traditionally unaccompanied during Orthodox services, an organ has often provided accompaniment for cantorials performed outside of services or on recordings, including this one. Four of the cantorials are from the Sabbath liturgy, with the four others here from services associated with major holidays. Cantor Kanefsky sings in the Ashkenazi dialect of Hebrew. On the “Passover Service” he is joined by his son, Ian.

Liner notes provide biographical information about Cantor Kanefsky and the Hebrew lyrics.