A Happy New Year to my Steem friends!
In my opinion the best way to bring one year to a close and to welcome a new year is by praising God.
As some of you know, I love ancient music. Given this, and given that today is New Year's Day, it was only appropriate to attach the following video. This video features a recording of a reconstruction of the original (nearly 3000 year-old) Hebrew chant of Psalm 150; a psalm of praise to God. The psalm is specifically addressed to musicians.
Psalm 150 (in English translation) reads as follows:
"1
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty firmament!
2
Praise him for his mighty deeds;
praise him according to his surpassing greatness!
3
Praise him with trumpet sound;
praise him with lute and harp!
4
Praise him with tambourine and dance;
praise him with strings and pipe!
5
Praise him with clanging cymbals;
praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
6
Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord"
(qtd. from the NRSV)
The music for this text, as well for many other Hebrew Bible texts that would have originally been accompanied by music, was reconstructed by Suzanne Haïk-Vantoura (1912 - 2000), a Swiss-born Jewish musicologist and organist. Vantoura trained at the Conservatoire de Paris from 1931 - 1938. There she earned first prizes in Harmony (1934, in the studio of Paul Fauchet) and Fugue (1938, in the studio of Jean Roger-Ducasse). Vantoura also studied organ performance with Marcel Dupré from 1941-1946.
From 1946 - 1953 Vantoura served as organist at the Synagogue de l'Union liberale Israelite de Paris. She also served as organist at the Eglise Saint-Helene de Paris from 1966 - 1979. In 1976 Vantoura published "La Musique de la Bible Révélé." This work detailed her research into the biblical texts and her methods for reconstructing the music of the Hebrew Bible. In 1978 the Institut de France awarded the book's second edition its highest award, the Prix Bernier.
I hope you enjoy this beautiful music, and a Happy New Year to you all!
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