Seraphic Fire’s Jewish Voices is a musical program of resilience, hope and enduring legacy

From left, Seraphic Fire singers Luc Kleiner, Elisse Albian, William Duffy, and Ian Schipper.  Seraphic Fire performs a series of a cappella concerts, “Jewish Voices,” throughout South Florida. (Photo by Jorge Castillejos/courtesy of Seraphic Fire).

Universal themes like familial love and the deep resonance of historical memory bridge all cultures, yet each expresses them in unique ways. In Jewish culture, art has not only preserved its history and identity, but has woven them into a living tapestry—one that honors tradition while embracing change. Because of this, generations have connected across time, capturing joy and sorrow, resilience and hope, in a captivating and enduring legacy.

And for the Jewish community, music has served as a powerful outlet, influencing the global soundscape through its composers, performers, and rich traditions. 

Conductor James K. Bass brings this legacy to life with “Jewish Voices,” an a cappella program that is part of the Seraphic Fire’s 2024-2025 Season, “Music History 101!”

Conductor James K. Bass brings to the stage “Jewish Voices”, an a cappella program that is part of the Seraphic Fire’s 2024-2025 Season, “Music History 101!” (Photo by Alex Markow/courtesy of Seraphic Fire).

 The group aims to present historically significant, rarely performed works that broaden audience horizons with unique choral pieces. This time the program highlights “Shirim L’yom Tov” by Pulitzer Prize-winner Shulamit Ran, alongside intricate works by Julia Wolfe, David Lang, and Moira Smiley, celebrating the richness of the Jewish experience. Performances are scheduled from Thursday, Nov. 7 through Sunday, Nov. 7 in multiple venues in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Naples.

“As a conductor, (our job includes putting) together the programs: what pieces are we performing? And that takes a lot of time, and it’s usually done months and months in advance of the concert,” explains Bass, three-time GRAMMY®-nominated singer and conductor. He is the associate conductor for the Miami-based ensemble Seraphic Fire and the artistic director of the Long Beach Camerata Singers. He is also professor and director of choral studies at the Herb Alpert School of Music at UCLA. 

“A conductor has to build in time to sit and listen and read and look at the scores to determine if that’s something we wanna share,” he says. 

Bass states that Seraphic Fire has introduced music to South Florida that audiences might be unfamiliar with.

Singer John Buffet in one of Seraphic Fire’s presentations. (Photo by Naples Creative/courtesy of Seraphic Fire).

“Our audiences in Miami have become sophisticated, and they expect a really excellent concert from our group. And so in this program I really wanted to find composers and pieces that impressed me first (so we can impress the audience).”

While researching pieces for the concert, Bass was struck by the diverse themes and musical styles that define what is considered “Jewish music”—what he describes as “the essence of Judaism expressed through the community’s sound,” extending well beyond traditional synagogue music.

“I kept thinking it might just be all music that sounds like folk music from a Jewish or Israeli tradition, and it isn’t. There’s a little bit of everything in this program, and some highly, firework-type music where the voices have to do a lot, sing really high, sing really low, sing really fast, in lots and lots of texts (in Hebrew, Yiddish and English).” 

The 75-minute concert program features “Lo Yisa Goy” and “Hava Nagila” by Stacey Garrop, “Jerusalem – A Meditation for Peace” by Kenneth Lampl, “Guard My Tongue” by Julia Wolfe, “Protect Yourself from Infection and Make Peace” by David Lang, “Dance with S’loyfn, S’yogn,” and “Stand in that River” by Moira Smiley.

The program also includes the experimental “Astronaut Anthem” by renowned multidisciplinary artist Meredith Monk, along with the world premiere of “Natural Songs” by 20-year-old composer Yoni Fogelman.

“There are several pieces in Hebrew, rooted in musical traditions and sounds familiar to the Jewish community. It’s like a folk song that every tradition has—something sung to children or within community gatherings, at church or synagogue,” says Bass.

Much of the program reflects these shared cultural songs, while other pieces bring fresh, original ideas.

One particularly captivating piece is “Jerusalem, a Meditation for Peace” by Kenneth Lampell.

“Sung in English, it beautifully combines harmonies and the expressive musical elements that define beloved choral music in the 21st century,” says Bass.

Seraphic Fire singer Molly Quinn. (Photo by Naples Creative/courtesy of Seraphic Fire)

The common thread that fuses all the pieces is one of peace and a call for unity in the world.

“For me, the ‘Astronaut Anthem,’ by Meredith Monk, makes you think of how few people in our history have ever gone outside the atmosphere of our planet. We’re talking less than 0.001 percent. Something tiny. And you’re now outside of our planet looking back at it. Think of what that perspective does to your mind. This music has no words, just vocal sounds and vowels, but there is a melody that repeats over and over, that sounds very old. To me, it sounds like the kind of music that you might hear in your head if you were suddenly able to go outside the planet like an astronaut and look back and think of the profound smallness of all of us: it’s a very powerful piece”. 

Bass acknowledges the challenge of performing intricate works by contemporary Jewish composers, but he adds that the artists of Seraphic Fire are more than prepared to rise to the occasion.

“These pieces are difficult, experimenting with types of rhythms, different types of vocal sounds that each singer is gonna have to make. (Each of the featured composers) attempt to test range, how high or low can this singer actually sing? So all of that is wrapped up into this one program: one challenge after another.

Bass says that Seraphic Fire brings together some of the very best classical ensemble singers in the country.

“These singers come with a deep knowledge and education of music and the ability to read rhythms and all the kind of requisite things you need to do.”

For Fogelman, the music composition graduate from the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, the chance to premiere two of his pieces in the Seraphic Fire program is a unique opportunity.

“I learned about this through James Bass at UCLA, where I sang in his chamber choir for the past two years. Working with James has been incredibly enriching,” says Fogelman.

The composer says that since Bass knew of his background in choral music, he was invited by Bass to submit pieces for the upcoming concert featuring Jewish composers.

“While neither of the two pieces chosen directly reflects Judaic themes, I’m honored to be part of this program as a Jewish composer. I’m truly grateful that James and Seraphic Fire have chosen to include my work in this concert,” explains Fogelman. Raised in a musically diverse family, the young talent developed an impressive portfolio early on, composing for choirs, classical ensembles, and film scores. 

For Yoni Fogelman, a 20-year-old Music Composition graduate from The Herb Alpert School of Music, the chance to premiere two of his pieces in this Seraphic Fire program in Miami is a unique opportunity. (Photo by Isabelle Fromme/(courtesy of Seraphic Fire).

In the South Florida concerts, Seraphic Fire will present two pieces that are part of a set of three that Fogelman calls “a choral song cycle.” They are based on the poems of his best friend, Eli Staub, with whom he has sung in choirs for many years.”

“Essentially, it’s a larger work made up of multiple pieces, and I called this one ‘Natural Songs of Lust, Loss, and Loyalty.’ Each piece reflects a different facet of love.”

For Mark Kligman, Ph.D., of the Milken Archives of Jewish Music at UCLA and consulting scholar for the “Jewish Voices” program, the scope of this program is fundamental. “Drawing upon known melodies is one approach of Jewish composers, another is writing music anew. Established Jewish folk melodies presented in a contemporary style provide a fresh approach that fuses tradition and innovation,” says Kligman.

Bass says that the concert is a way to reach out to people and celebrate the Jewish community’s contributions to the culture at large.

“I’m a musician, and I believe that when we approach the music of other cultures, we have a responsibility to represent it honestly,” says the conductor. “This means reading, experiencing, and speaking with people from that tradition, learning the language and its nuances. So while I’m not Jewish, as a conductor, I’m committed to bringing this music to life with as much accuracy and respect as possible.” 

WHAT: Seraphic Fire presents “Jewish Voices” with conductor James K. Bass

WHEN AND WHERE: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov.  7, Temple Bet Shira, 7500 SW 120th St., Miami; 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 8, All Saints Episcopal, 333 Tarpon Dr., Ft Lauderdale; 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9, Temple Beth Sholom, 4144 Chase Ave., Miami Beach; 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 10, Moorings Presbyterian, 791 Harbour Dr., Naples.

COST: $45, general admission, free for students with valid ID

INFORMATION: 305-285-9060 or seraphicfire.org 

RELATED EVENT: A pre-concert conversation is one hour before each concert discussing the work with tenor Brad Diamond. 

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