Every year, when Parashat Beshalach comes along, it is a special time for lovers of music and for cantors too! This Shabbat is known as Shabbat Shirah (the Shabbat of Song), connecting with the recitation of the Song of the Sea, which includes the Mi Chamocha, in this week’s portion. This is meant to be a week where we celebrate the musical intersection of music and Torah, so we shall do just that!
In place of my standard podcast this week, I have decided to share a Spotify playlist of some of my favorite settings of Mi Chamocha, and I’ll tell you, if you search “Mi Chamocha” on Spotify, you will be overwhelmed by hundreds of results. Why are there so many settings of Mi Chamocha? It is likely the chain of tradition in every generation of songwriters and composers who have wanted to find their own voice connected to this eternal song of our people. The myriad of ways that these artists have approached Mi Chamocha with creativity and with wide difference in style is astounding and, overall, just an amazing musical experience. In a sense, I feel that by just listening to a handful of settings of Mi Chamocha, one can really musically encapsulate one of the most fundamental representations of the Jewish community.
So enjoy this (limited) playlist, and then share with me any favorite settings of your own that I may have missed! I’m ready to listen! ♫