In our quest for repertory, Sylvie Zakarian and I had a great fortune to work with world - renowned percussionist Neil Grover, who kindly arranged Avinu Malkeinu for us.
“Avinu Malkeinu (Hebrew: אָבִינוּמַלְכֵּנוּ; “Our Father, Our King”) is an ancient Jewish prayer whose origin can be traced back to the ninth century. It is recited throughout the Jewish High Holy Days (Ten Days of Repentance), from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur. Each line of the prayer begins with the words “Avinu Malkeinu” “Our Father, Our King” and is then followed by varying phrases, mostly supplicatory. This prayer of atonement is one of the most important and revered of all Jewish psalms. It is of special importance in times when people feel small and powerless, uncertain about their future; when they feel that they have no voice which human ears can hear. This arrangement, written especially for Sylvie and Daniela, treats the marimba and voice as equal partners engaged in musical interplay. The virtuosic marimba part not only supports, but, often contrasts the lyrical reverence of the vocal line, reflective of the deep expressiveness found within the human spirit.
The short introduction and ending contain melodic quotes from a film score written by Ernest Gold, a Jewish émigré to the US, who (like many others), was fleeing persecution in Europe, only to settle in Hollywood to be employed by the major film studios as a composer. (See if you can recognize it).”
Neil Grover
We recorded it at Q Division Studios in January 2024. It was engineered, mixed and mastered by Joel Edinberg. It's available for streaming on Amazon, Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and all the other platforms.
Neil W. Grover holds the distinction of having performed with one of the world's foremost orchestras (Boston Symphony) on the soundtrack for one of the most successful blockbuster movies of all time (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom) and with the iconic rock band, Aerosmith.
As a percussionist with both the Boston Symphony and Boston Pops for over 40 years, Neil has performed with them over 2,500 times around the globe. In addition, he is active as a musical arranger and conductor for popular artists.
Formerly the Chair of the Percussion Programs at both The Boston Conservatory and the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, Neil has served on the Board of Directors of the Percussive Arts Society and as a Trustee for the Winchester Community Music School, one of America's leading community music schools. He is the founder of Grover Pro Percussion, a leading manufacturer of world-class percussion products.
Avinu Malkeinu
Avinu malkeinu sh'ma kolenu
Avinu malkeinu chatanu l'faneycha
Avinu malkeinu chamol aleynu
V'al olaleynu v'tapenu
Avinu malkeinu
Kaleh dever v'cherev v'raav mealeynu
Avinu malkeinu
Kalehchol tsar umastin mealeynu
Avinu malkeinu sh'ma kolenu
Avinu malkeinu chatanu l'faneycha
Avinu malkeinu kalehchol tsar
Umastin mealeynu
Avinu malkeinu
Avinu malkeinu
Kotvenu b'sefer chayim tovim
Avinu malkeinu chadesh aleynu
Chadesh aleynu shanah tovah
Avinu malkeinu
Avinu malkeinu
Chadesh aleynu chamol aleynu
Avinu malkeinu
Chadesh aleynu shanah tovah
Avinu malkeinu
sh'ma kolenu
sh'ma kolenu
sh'ma kolenu
sh'ma kolenu
Avinu Malkeinu
Our father our king, hear our voice
Our father our king, we have sinned before you
Our father our king, Have compassion upon us
and upon our children
Our father our king
Bring an end to pestilence, war, and famine around us
Our father our king,
Bring an end to all trouble and oppression around us
Our father our king, hear our voice
Our father our king, we have sinned before you
Our father our king,
Bring an end to all trouble
and oppression around us
Our father our king
Our father our king
Inscribe us in the book of (good) life
Our father our king, renew upon us
Renew upon us a good year
Our father our king
Renew and have compassion upon us
Our father our king
Renew upon us a good year
Our father our king,
hear our voice
hear our voice
hear our voice
hear our voice