At long last the music of Hazzan Israel Alter is available on CD. Lois Welber recently released her cantorial CD, “Prayers of the High Holy Days: Shomeah Tefillah”. (Shomeah Tefillah – “…Who hears prayer” from Hineni) featuring the music of Hazzan Israel Alter. The CD focuses on music from “The High Holy Day Service” and “The Selichot Service” published by the Cantors Assembly. The original musical accompaniment is arranged by organist/composer Ernest Rakhlin and with pianist David Sparr. There is also one song included by Israel Goldfarb, “B’Sefer Chayim” (from Shirei T’shuvah –991900), which score is available through Transcontinental Music Publications.

These renditions are all sung with Welber’s strong mezzo-soprano in dedication to the 100th anniversary celebration of Temple B’Nai Israel in Revere, Massachusetts, where she has been cantor since 2000. Prior to that Lois served as High Holiday cantor at Harvard-Radcliffe Hillel for 18 years. She studied hazzanut
for many years with Hazzan Gregor Shelkan (z”l) and dedicates this CD to his memory and to Rabbi Ben-Zion Gold of Harvard Hillel.

To obtain a copy or contact Lois, email lois_welber@msn.com.
You can visit Lois Welber’s website at: http://www.loiswelber.com
You can also learn more at the Temple B’nai Israel website at:
http://www.tbirevere.org/index-1.html<
Sales price $15.00 (add 5% sales tax for Massachusetts residents) and $2.00 shipping.

Lois commented about this project that: “Though Alter published his musical settings for the High Holy
Day prayers 35 years ago, to my knowledge, they have never been
recorded…. having sung Alter’s music for over 20 years and witnessed
its effects on a variety of congregations and services, I very much
wanted to record it and believe that more people deserve to hear it.
Clearly the eloquent beauty of Alter’s hazzanut speaks to contemporary
sensibilities, enhancing the service where they are sung.”