Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

Judith Lang Zaimont was born in Nashville in 1945 but grew up and studied in New York. Her career as a composer has been varied with nearly 100 compositions to her name. Those included on this budget release span the years 1976 to 1997 and reflect her interest in Jewish music. Her "Sacred Service For The Sabbath Evening" (1976) for soloist, chorus and symphony orchestra is an interesting concert setting of great liturgical and poetic texts sung in English. In a different vein, "Parable: A Tale Of Abram And Isaac" (1986) is a compact 16-minute musical drama that fuses the well known Hebrew Bible story with the poetry of Wilfred Owen to offer a challenging vision. Musically it reminds me of Bernstein's release in this series: 'A Jewish Legacy'. My favourite pieces are the most recent: "Meditations At The Time Of The New Year" (1997). These are more tranquil and reflective with an echo of the work of Arvo Pärt in the use of bells. The end result is a diverse collection - too diverse, as Zaimont's style has changed markedly over the years. The CD booklet is informative with texts and translations supplied and the budget price means that the musically curious should not be deterred from further investigation.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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