The Team:
Lenka Lichtenberg (voice, composition (2), arrangements (all), producer, concept and heart (all). Alan Hetherington, David Doruzka, Yair Dalal, Tomas Reindl, Alexander Shonert, Rasto Uhrik, Peter Gyori, Zita Petrak, Anwar Khurshid, Christian Dawid.
Tech team:
Engineer: Derek Saxenmayer; mixing: Jim Zolis; Photography, graphic design : Romana Rysava; Artistic consulant: Lumir Hladik; Organizational assistance: Tomas Kraus; Driver and assistant: Lukas Duchon. Produced by Lenka Lichtenberg.
My Judaic, spiritual side finds fulfillment in liturgy. In the last 10 years or so, I have become quite involved in Shabbat and High Holidays services, especially on the musical level, at the (Reconstructionist) Congregation Darchei Noam, and at services led by Rabbi Elyse Goldstein. Considering my background, it is, I suppose, somewhat ironic, as I was brought up an atheist ....
WHY:
My project The Songs of the Breathing Walls is possibly the most significant thing I may ever get to do, and one unbelievably deep in my heart. The idea came to me in 2009, when I happened to have concerts in 2 separate Czech synagogues, in Plzen and Liberec. The two places could not be more different. One carried its past in its old walls, which seemed to be communicating with me, and the other was a modern building built recently on the place where an old one stood, which was burned to the ground on Kristallnacht. There, I was inspired to sing straight up to the opening in the roof, and again I could feel the past despite the new walls. The acoustics and atmosphere in each were so remarkably different, their "personalities" as well. Then I got this idea to record a piece of liturgy in as many synagogues as I can, each recording representing the unique personality of "its" synagogue, celebrating the disappeared Jewish communities which used to congregate there.
HOW:
The idea was made into reality between July, 2010, and July, 2011. Most of the 12 synagogues – 9 Czech and 3 in Moravia- are places where there are no longer any Jewish people at all. Some are museums (which just kills me, I must say...), some are still under consideration as to what their future will hold. Some are lovingly restored, mostly through the generous support of international organizations and the EU. The most amazing one of those is in Hartmanice, where the restoration of the synagogue became a mission for one amazing man who bought it and saved it just days before it was to be demolished, and then spent large amount of money, and 3 years of his life, to get it restored. An incredible place, now full of love. The recordings involve various groupings of instruments, from just voice and violin or oud, to a 4-piece ensemble. The artists that worked with me are exceptional musicians, such as David Doruzka, Tomas Reindl, Alan Hetherington and Alexander Shonert. One of my collaborators in the project was Yair Dalal... he plays on a Holocaust victim's restored violin, and the oud. The liturgy that we recorded is half traditional, half contemporary. Some of those settings are my own compositions, and those of several Toronto composers. The places embrace, carry and uplift the music, and the music thankfully acknowledges this exchange. You can almost touch this cycle. It is mostly very intimate, moving. The most personally "hitting" place where we recorded was the "hidden" synagogue in Terezin, where my family was. I recorded Eil Malei Rachamim there, just with a violin.
AND NOW...:
The work is not done yet. I will need to fund-raise to complete the final stages: final mixing, mastering, and design/production of the accompanying booklet which will include a page about each synagogue, the community that built it and sustained it, and photos (the work crew included photographer Romana Rysava, who took about 2000 pictures!) Eventually, my plan is to give each synagogue that opened its doors for me a box of the CDs to sell, as a small contribution towards its upkeep… a recognition that the places themselves play equal part to the music. My ideal vision is that the CD launch, planned for late May, 2012, will be combined with an exhibition that will have photo panels about each (generally disappeared) community, celebrating its past and in some cases, the present. Plan B, more realistic, is that there will be images projected on two or three screens, while the music is being performed. And we already have a beautiful memory: In December 28, 2011, Czech TV broadcast director Jaroslav Hovorka’s documentary about the project, which was very well received.
ALL IN ALL...
This project is the most amazing experience, where music and spirit connect. I think most of us that were involved, were strongly affected by the experience.
