Ben's Songs

Just in time for Purim, a chant from the Scroll of Esther, and a midrash (interpretation). The Book of Esther begins with the King, a bit of a buffoon, throwing a huge drunken party for everyone, and this sets the tone for everything that follows.

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This song is a setting of a verse of Psalm and also a video game meme.

The verse is Psalms 51:12, לֵב טָהוֹר בְּרָא-לִי אֱלֹהִים וְרוּחַ נָכוֹן חַדֵּשׁ בְּקִרְבִּי: lev tahor b'ra li, elohim, v'ru'ach nachon chadesh b'kirbi (create for me a pure heart, O G-d, and renew within me a right spirit).  Why is this a video game meme?  Because the Hebrew word for "within me" is also the name of Nintendo character Kirby — and the Hebrew word for "spirit" also means "wind" or "breath", which is Kirby's main form of attack/interaction.

The meme image (below) was made first, and shows Kirby performing his iconic inhale attack, captioned with the verse in Hebrew.  But then I thought, why not set this verse to music from one of Kirby's games?

lyrics from Psalm 51:12, trad. Hebrew
ttto: "Cloud Stage" from Kirby's Adventure by Hirokazu Ando

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A setting of Tolkien's hymn, in the Elvish language Sindarin, to Elbereth (Varda), the Queen of the Valar (Powers) and Kindler of the Stars.

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A setting of Exodus 15:20-21 — Miriam takes her timbrel (frame drum) in her hand and sings at the shore of the sea.

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A setting of the evening blessing for creation from the Hebrew liturgy. This prayer praises G!d for the changing light of the evening sky.

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listen with substitutions (why?)

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by Edward Lear
set to music by Benjamin Newman

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 A verse from A Wizard of Earthsea, set to music as a round

words by Ursula K. Le Guin
set to music by Benjamin Newman

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