The Washington times., 1922-10-19
ANCIENT JEWISH
HARP MELODIES
IN BOOK Of. JOB
Washingtonians to Hear Music
Handed Down From
Biblical Times.

One OF the most interesting tea-
lures In connection with Stuart
Walkers production Of THE Book
OF job" which comes to the Presi.
dent .Theater for two performances
on October rs and 20, at 4:30 p. n,.,
Is that, so far as the record shows.
it marks the first time that the
strains Of ancient Hebrew music
have been heard In the modern thea.
Ter. To heighten the authenticity
OF the rendition OF the melodies. the
principal instruments used in the
orchestration arranged for the pro-
duction are harps.
THE music that accompanies the
laments Of Job has been gathered
from the oldest records Of Hebraic
songs" declares Elliott Schenck. who
arranged the score. The Jewish
race has always given vent to self.
expression in music, particularly in
the beginning. They took TO heart
literally the commandment. Thou
shalt make no craven images" and
you will find that only in this gen.
Grafton have the Jews considered II
righteous to decorate their places Of
worship. All their religious ecstacy
was expressed in music. There is
a synagogue in Philadelphia, which.
| am told, was the first to have mu.
raj decorations.
But, l found several hundred ex
otic melodies dating from the
earliest times. One Of the most
beautiful. 'Hosh 'ah Ma have
used as the main theme on
'Cit-Motif.' This melody, which
is heard at the rise of the
curtain and recurs several times
during the performance, we are told
by Hebraic historians Is associated
as representative theme with the
Feast of the Tabernacle, and accom-
panles the ancient symbolic waving
of the palm branch during the chant.
ing OF the 11sth Psalm.
THE second theme used in Job.
a melody in G minor. Is the latter
part of a strophic hymn. the form
of which was invented by Eleaszar
kalir, a cantor Of the ninth cen.
tury.
1.-The Hymn of Weeping the
All Elleh. is lament for the cap
ture Of Jerusalem by the foe. This
mournful elegy was chanted in the
dim lighted synagogue on the fatal
ninth day of Alb. the anniversary
Of the destruction OF both temples.
THESE ancient songs of the He.
brew race are the purest music of
these people" again to quote Mr..
Schenck. "Zionists say, I believe,
that without a Jewish fount of cul.
ture which they would establish at
Jerusalem there can be no Jewish
art or music: that since the Jewish
race Is scattered over the face Of
the earth, there is no such thing as
Jewish art or music. But an evi.
denCe Of the important part music
played in the ynagogue II shown
in Pauer's Traditional Melodies
THAT the ancient Hebrew ex-
celled his contemporaries in his love
and culture Of sweet sound is well
known. His music attracted the
attention Of foreign races, and from
numerous allusions in the Book Of
Chronicles, the apocrypha and the
latter psalms. down to the descrip.
tion in the 'Mishnah' (the earlier
portion Of the Talmud) Of the sys-
tematically elaborate vowels and or
chestral organization which ruled
in the Temple during its final years,
we gather an idea Of the notable
degree to which the musical cul.
ture Of the ancient Hebrews cen.
tered around his communion with
his Maker" 3
The Book Of job is presented
under the auspices OF Rho Beta
Chapter, Mu Phi Epsilon National
Musical Sorority. Tickets on sale
at the theater and at T. Arthur
Smith Inc