Vocal(/Choral) Composition of the Day, Installment 13:
"Yih'yu l'ratson" (May the words of my mouth);
High or Low Voice and Keyboard (or SATB Chorus)
(2001)
Inspired by the masterful, a cappella choral setting of this text composed by Ernest Bloch that occurs in the midst of his "Avodath Hakodesh" (Sacred Service), my brief, original setting of this traditional Sabbath/Shabbat prayer is singable in both Hebrew and English. I thank god that it has become a staple of the sacred choral music repertoire in its version for mixed chorus which has been performed around the world. However, the versions for high or low voice and keyboard are lesser known, so I am highlighting them here. All three versions are published by ECS Publishing Group.
Transliteration: Yih’yu l’ratzon imrei fi, V’hegyon libi l’fanecha, Adonai, tzuri v’goali.
Translation: May the words of my mouth, and the thoughts of my heart, be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock, and my redeemer.
"Yih'yu l'ratson": High Voice and Keyboard: ECS Publishing Group Catalog No. 5876. Follow the next link to visit the publisher's product page for this version.
"Yih'yu l'ratson": Low Voice and Keyboard: ECS Publishing Group Catalog No. 5877. Follow the next link to visit the publisher's product page for this version. https://www.ecspublishing.com/yih-yu-l-ratson-may-the-words-of-my-mouth.html
"Yih'yu l'ratson": SATB Chorus: ECS Publishing Group Catalog No. 5864. Follow the next link to visit the publisher's product page for this version.
Follow the next links to view my YouTube Music videos for the SATB versions performed by The Philovox Ensemble conducted by Jennifer Lester.
"Yih'yu l'ratson":
https://youtu.be/LZeEmFbooK8?si=x5vNOo0fnPwklEBy (May the words of my mouth):
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Editorial: A plea to musicians of all kinds: PERFORM JEWISH-CENTRIC MUSIC!
So much of Jewish-centric music has been and continues to be ignored, or worse, boycotted, today because of the crazy, divisive, upside-down times in which we live. A rich treasure-trove of Jewish-centric music exists.
Explore creative programming options from the time of the Renaissance through the music of today. Many reliable databases of sacred and secular Jewish-centric music exist.
Contact me for more programming ideas about my Jewish-centric music, and the music of countless other composers and arrangers, who include both Jews and Gentiles. I will be happy to help point you in whatever direction I am able.
If you are truly devoted to diversity, then you simply cannot arbitrarily exclude the music of a culture that is over 3500 years old because of geopolitics; to do so is the height of hypocrisy. Embrace and perform Jewish music as you would the music of any other culture.
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I hope you enjoy "Yih'yu l'ratson". Thank you for your time and attention.
Stanley M. Hoffman, PhD
Link to my website: https://www.stanleymhoffman.com
Biography Published in Grove Music Online (The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, Oxford University Press)
The "Stanley M. Hoffman Special Collection" was established at The Berklee College of Music Library Archive in January 2025. It will take whatever time is necessary for the archive to catalog my collection and make it available to the public.
Website: https://archives.berklee.edu
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