Jewish A Cappella Group

Our music

Kol Rina sings a cappella, meaning we use no instrumental accompaniment just voices in close harmony. Most of our songs are our own original compositions, influenced by diverse styles including traditional, gospel, classical, minimalist and pop. The lyrics to many of the songs originate from Jewish liturgy, such as from prayers, psalms and the tenach (Jewish Bible). Hence we mostly sing in Hebrew, the language of our faith.

Recordings

We have just produced our first CD entitled "Ashira".

Listen to Kol Rina

Sounds from our CD

Sounds from our June 2002 concert

Kol Rina composers

Alicia Ambrose

Over the past year and a half, Alicia has been working on a long-term project with the group, travelling around the Jewish year, and writing a piece for each festival. The texts are taken from prayers or psalms, or belong to rituals that take place during the holiday. She has also been exploring different musical elements to work with in the pieces, including minimalism, classical harmony, modal writing, canon, round, and interlocking effects where any part of the piece can stand alone, or it can be superimposed upon other parts of the piece. She has also experimented with incorporating the original, traditional music of the text, and mixing Ashkenazi and Sephardi styles in some of her music - a blend of East and West.

So far, she has completed pieces for the Festivals of Pesach, Chanukah and Purim, and written several pieces for Shabbat. She is also planning to write music for Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Succot and Shavuot.

Miki Grahame

Miki was driven to compose by an enchantment with the words she found in the Jewish prayers and a despair at the lack of musical renditions that do them justice. How many people find themselves sitting in the synagogue, confronting a page of Hebrew words and feel excluded by the language of their ancestors? Music can be a beautiful introduction to the liturgy that is accessible to everyone. In her work, Miki uses melody to convey the meaning and depth of Jewish prayer.

Current Repertoire

Song	Composer	Description
Ani Maamin	Miki Grahame	Words: Based on Maimonides'13 Principles of Faith A contemplative piece expressing the twelfth principle: our faith in the coming of the Messiah.
Ain Kamocha	Jonny Cohen	"Ain Kamocha va'elokim HaShem, v'ain kema'asecha"
Ashira	Miki Grahame	"I will sing to G-d as long as I live. I will sing praise to my Lord while I have my being. May my meditation be sweet unto him: as for me I will rejoice in the Lord..." The words are from a Psalm traditionally recited on the occasion of the new moon. The song is about the joy and power of singing. The piece builds up from a pop-style syncopated rhythm over a simple base line, to gradually incorporate more and more voices - building as if the music were contagious. The melody in first section of the song is an exuberant expression of the uplifting experience of singing to God. The second is toned down as the choir unites for a 2-part harmony, building back up via a minor to major chord change to the strong "barchi nafshi" ("my soul will praise…") line. It is a modern and uplifting treatment that pulls in the listener and goes out with a bang!
Ashrei	Miki Grahame	A funky setting for this well-known verse
Ata Echad	Miki Grahame	A lively setting for this piece, which celebrates shabbat: a day of rest, truth and love. Words: Shabbat afternoon amida prayer
Av Harachamim	Miki Grahame	A slower setting of the verses sung before removing the Torah from the Ark. Words: Shabbat morning service
Eli Eli	arr. Alicia Ambrose	This piece asks God for the unchangings of the world to never cease: the sand and the sea, the washing of the water, the thunder of the heavens - and the prayer of man. Words: Hannah Senesh
Haneyrot Hallalu	Alicia Ambrose	The beginning of Haneirot Hallalu represents the spiritual darkness into which the light was rekindled in the temple after it was sacked by the Greeks. The different voice parts feel very separate - it is not until the mention of the Priests, who brought the people together to fight for what they believed in, that the different vocal parts also, symbolically, come together. The middle section, where the voices are much more united, represents the unity of a people who for eight days every year (a world-wide survey suggested that Chanukah is the festival celebrated by the most Jews) light candles and remember this piece of history. Finally, we return to the musical ideas of the opening - this time, the separate voice parts representing the many miracles that took place at this time.
If you can walk	Linda Hirschhorn	A catchy musical conversation:"If you can walk, then you can dance; if you can talk, then you can sing!" Words: Adapted from Zimbabwe Folk Wisdom
Ilu Finu	Miriam Margles	"Ilu finu malei shira kayam" - "Were our mouths as full of song as the sea...". Words from the Nishmat prayer recited on Shabbat morning. Words: Shabbat Zemer byR. Aharon of Karlin
Kah Echsof	Miki Grahame	The chorus translates as "God, I yearn for the pleasantness of Shabbat, which is twinned and unified with your treasured people!"
Ma Nishatana	Alicia Ambrose	This is a setting of the well known, traditional Four Questions - Ma Nishtana - which are asked at, and form the basis of the Seder on the first nights of the festival. Alicia has used a number of different tunes, each representing different aspects of the people present. The traditional tune is also used, representing the innocent child - customarily the youngest person in attendance who asks these questions. The other two "Ma Nishtana" tunes, for men and women respectively, also each show an aspect of the Holiday. The women's tune is light, and sung with joy - the Jews were freed at this time of year, no longer did they have to labour for the Egyptians, and now they could dance beneath the sun. The men's tune is heavier, representing the weight of ages, and is a little like a working chant. It suggests the idea of generations of men dragging the blocks of stone as they built cities for the Pharaohs. It is a link with the past - we can stretch out and think about the lives of our ancestors centuries ago. These strands work with each other, often with the repeated question "Why?" (the Hebrew word "Ma") and all of the voices combine to ask the four questions which are spread throughout the piece. The music finally ends, as it began, with the voice of the small child completing the question - "Why is this night different from all other nights?"
Mochel Avonot	arr. Joshua Abrass	A much loved song from the Yom Kippur service
Not by Might	Linda Hirschhorn	A moving song of peace that emphasises the important dialogue between Jewish and Muslim communities. "Not by might, not by power, but with love" Words: Zechariah 4:6
Ozi	Miki Grahame	These verses, from which we take our name "Kol Rina" ("voice of joy"), describe God as our might and saviour. Words: Hallel (Psalm 118)
Shomer Yisrael	Miki Grahame	In this lively piece, we ask God to protect the unique and holy people of Israel.
Shoshanat Yaakov	Alicia Ambrose	Shoshanat Yaakov tzahala v'sameicha birotam yachad t'chelet Mordechi ("The rose of Jacob rejoiced and was glad when Mordechai appeared in the Temple"). This piece is minimalist in style, the word "Shoshanat" forming the backing over which the rest of the text is sung. The idea is that the people of the time formed a "backing" for the main characters in the Purim story to work against - Esther and Mordechai stood apart from the people, but they were working for them, to save their lives. The piece is a sort of snapshot of history - it fades in and the out again once the drama is over.
Shuva	Miki Grahame	"I have blotted out, as a cloud, your transgressions, and, as a mist, your sins; return to me, for I have redeemed you…" This verse from Isaiah is recited after Shabbat and also used as a leitmotif during Yom Kippur. With its very evocative imagery, it has been arranged in a more traditional 4-part harmony style but with a verse-chorus structure. The first verse is lyrical but pensive, depicting how we are humbled by God's compassion. This crescendos into the emotive chorus "Shuva, shuva elai…" ("Return, return to me") as God now asks us to come back to him. In the second verse we find the heavens, mountains and trees breaking into song. In the centre of the piece, a wordless section has melody lines flowing back and forth, reminiscent of the dialogue between God and man. We finally return to the emotive chorus, finishing with God's request "Shuva elai".
Uv'nei Puzzle Canon	Mozart	A classical tribute to our admired Ashkenazi Mozart. We have set the Hebrew phase "Uvney yerushalayim ir hakodesh bimheyra b'yameynu" to the music of this 3-part puzzle canon.