August 31, 2007

Ufros Aleinu (Shelter Of Peace)

Original music and English lyrics by Jeff Stambovsky. Vocal by Neil Blumofe.

Full translation of the hebrew: Spread over us Your shelter of peace. Guide us with Your good counsel.

This song is taken from a hebrew prayer. I composed the musical setting and some ancillary english lyrics in 1998, and I was lucky enough to get my cantor at the time, Neil Blumofe, to sing it. Neil has since gone on to bigger and better things in Austin, Texas, where he now serves as Senior Rabbi of Congregation Agudas Achim (when he's not creating jazz-flavored cantorial works with people like Jason Marsalis at Horeb Records).