Tracks

Track

Time

Play

Ma tovu 02:50
Tzur yisra'el 02:15
K'dusha 05:23
Grant Us Peace 02:37
Kaddish 02:10
The Earth is the Lord's 02:50
Su sh'arim 01:17
Havu godel — Barukh shenatan 01:25
Bet ya'akov – Sh'ma yisra'el 02:04
K'ri'at ha'torah – Reading of Scripture and brakhot 05:35
Gad'lu l'adonai iti Hodo al eretz 01:10
The Law of the Lord 02:05
Etz ḥayyim hi 03:30
 

Liner Notes

Cantor Raymond Smolover wrote Gates of Freedom as a companion work to his Edge of Freedom in order to provide—with the two works taken together—a full expression of the Reform Sabbath liturgy in what he called a “religious rock” idiom. Gates of Freedom addresses the texts of the Reform Sabbath Torah Service as they appeared in the contemporaneous edition of the Union Prayerbook, which was the de facto official prayerbook of the Reform movement in America at the time. 

In describing his embrace of “religious rock” for this work, Cantor Smolover has explained that he chose this admittedly new term to “express a tradition as ancient as the chanting of Scripture, as joyful as a Hassidic niggun, and as contemporary as folk, folk-rock, jazz, and rock. It is an attempt to add the rhythmic beat of the heart and the restless yearning of the soul; and to enable the earthbound flesh to take melodic flight with the spirit.” Nonetheless, he has always emphasized that the music of Gates of Freedom is in most instances based on traditional motifs of the Sabbath liturgy and the cantillation motifs for biblical readings or chant. 

By: Neil W. Levin

 

Credits

Composer: Raymond Smolover

Length: 35:11
Genre: Liturgical

Performers: Mindy Canter, Flute and Bells;  Robin Canter, Bass Guitar;  Joel Feinberg, Bass Guitar;  Jeff Labes, Piano;  Richard Linowes, Lead Guitar;  Michael Mark, Guitar;  Members of the Jewish Community Center Temple Youth Folk ;  Geoffrey Menin, Organ, Piano, Celesta;  David Smolover, Lead Guitar;  Raymond Smolover, Cantor;  Dan Sofer, Drums

Date Recorded: 01/01/1968
Venue: Regent Sound Studios, New York City, New York
Assistant Engineer: Sherman, Garry
Co-Producer: Kahan, Stanley

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