ACC/GTM Convention: This is the joint annual convention of the American Conference of Cantors and the Guild of Temple Musicians. Members of the ACC are accredited cantors in the Reform movement who have completed the course of study through the Sacred School of Music at Hebrew Union College. Members of the GTM are diverse, including composers, accompanists, choral directors, choral singers and cantorial soloists who have completed other cantorial programs and/or are informally active in their congregations in this role.

Approximately 300 people dedicated to the ongoing life of synagogue music attend the annual convention. It includes concerts, choices of workshops, and separate plenary sessions where the ACC and GTM report to their respective memberships on the year past, and discuss matters relevant to members. Throughout the convention there are many opportunities to network with colleagues, an aspect of the event that is highly valued by attendees. This year’s convention took place in Boston.

The two workshops I chose were the composers’ showcases of new music. The first was for solos/duets, where I was very honoured to have my new setting of T’fillat Haderech (Blessing for travellers) presented as one of the 14 pieces selected from the 100+ submissions they had received. The second was for choral works. It was wonderful to hear them, including a new Oseh Shalom by Elliot Z. Levine, the featured composer at the UPJ Biennial in Canberra last year.

The gala concert for the convention was held at Temple Beth Elohim near Boston. It featured the fantastic Boston Zamir Chorale, conducted by Professor Josh Jacobson, a revered name that can be seen on a vast range of Jewish sheet music for synagogue and concert. He was also one of the keynote speakers at the convention, and delivered two memorable addresses on topics relevant to the importance of music in synagogue life. Soloists on this concert included Cantor Robbie Solomon, who many will remember fondly from his visit to Sydney as Artist in Residence in 2010. It was a special pleasure to reconnect with Robbie, and on our free afternoon enjoy his personal walking tour of Boston, where he was based for nearly 30 years until quite recently. The gala concert also featured a segment presented by a 12 voice ACC-GTM ensemble. I was asked to sing in this ensemble as one of the 4 altos, under the baton of Aryell Cohen, president of the GTM. It was rather nerve-racking, with just one ‘commando-style’ rehearsal prior to the concert, but I think we did ok!

The two GTM plenary sessions were extremely interesting. There is a new website nearing beta testing stage. This website will herald a new era in the life of the GTM and what it can offer its members. I will certainly be encouraging all involved in the UPJ Regional Music Network to check it out, and to consider becoming members of the GTM. It has been an enriching experience in my ten years of membership so far, and has truly transformed my life in Jewish music.

At the second plenary, I was invited to speak to the membership on behalf of the UPJ about the latter’s desire to forge connections with the GTM. The board and membership were delighted at the prospect. Many ideas came forth, and there will certainly be more to follow on this topic.

On the networking front, I reconnected with many colleagues I have known for some years through attendance at conventions, and met some new and fascinating people, including composers and cantors.

North American Jewish Choral Festival: This annual event, presented by the Zamir Choral Foundation, is in its 22nd year. The venue is the Hudson Valley Resort, north of New York in the lush area of Kerhonksen. It is quite different to the ACC/GTM convention in that the attendees come from all walks of Jewish life (there are at least three different kinds of services in different function rooms each morning, ranging from Renewal to Orthodox), and while they include some cantors and other Jewish music professionals, the majority are choral singers from synagogues and Jewish community choirs across America, with an occasional, stray Australian!

The program features a nightly concert event, a plethora of workshop choices, participation in one of 5 ‘Instant Ensembles’ that rehearse each day and perform on the last day of the festival, and even a stream for non-singers who are there with spouses and interested in matters pertaining to Jewish music.

I sang in the 40-woman instant ensemble conducted by Professor Josh Jacobson, as I have done twice before at the festival. It is an education in itself to observe him at work, with his awesome musical, Hebrew and Jewish skills … and great fun to sing for, on top of it all!

Every day features: a ‘big sing’ with the whole festival attendance, where different composers and cantors teach a range of choral music; at least one rehearsal with your instant ensemble; a workshop slot; an evening concert, sometimes involving participation from the audience; some form of late night ‘hang’, with lots of singing, for those still standing; insufficient sleep.

The choice of workshops is overwhelming, with great presenters and topics. I chose: A Taste of Shabbat from Ahmedabad, Bombay and Calcutta; Interpretation of Jewish Prayer through music; Raising the bar for childrens’ choirs.

In the hotel lobby there is a Jewish marketplace open for the duration of the festival. There one can purchase sheet music and books, jewellery, tallitot, mezzuzot, pottery and other artwork.

Mifgash Musicale: Essentially a liturgical arts course, this was an intimate gathering of 20 students under the guidance of a faculty of 8, held at Hebrew Union College, Cincinnati.

It was a huge contrast to the mega events of the convention and the festival. Our relatively tiny gathering of students and faculty resided in the dorm and studied for 4 days and nights on the campus. We were very fortunate to have as our 3 cantors the very spiritual Cantor Rachelle Nelson, the Mifgash organiser and expert on Mishkan T’Filah – Cantor Alane Katzew, and Cantor Bruce Ruben, the head of the Sacred School of Music at HUC in New York. The legendary composer Bonia Shur, now in his late 80s, was also on the faculty. He started the Mifgash courses and for 30 years was Head of Liturgical Arts at HUC. We also had the benefit of faculty member Rabbi Rick Sarason, who supervises training of rabbis at HUC. The high ratio of faculty to students gave an amazing level of access to their expertise.

The program included sessions for the whole group, as well as some choices of workshops. This year Mifgash Musicale focused overall on the High Holy Days. We split into three groups and each one prepared and delivered a service to the rest of the gathering. I was in the Rosh Hashana morning group consisting of 6 students, Cantor Bruce Ruben and Aryell Cohen, master accompanist and also president of the Guild of Temple Musicians. What with the general interest workshops and sessions, we worked like demons all day and evening, poring over tomes of music and the Gates of Repentance to fashion our services, then rehearse the music, some of which was entirely new to me. After each of these ‘HHD services’, there was a debriefing with all those present. As an experiment, the Rosh Hashana evening group used an early draft of the Mishkan T’Shuvah, the new machzor under development.

It will take some time to digest the content from these three events, and collate the enormous pile of musical materials I’ve shlepped back with me! In the meantime, I will try to hang onto the feeling of pure inspiration that fills me at this point, and do all I can to share it with others at my congregation and in our region. I am deeply grateful to the UPJ and to NSTE for the financial support that helped to make this fruitful trip possible.