SAVAE (San Antonio Vocal Arts Ensemble)

World Library Publications

Ancient Echoes: Music from the Time of Jesus and Jerusalem’s Second Temple is a collection of meticulously researched and recreated sacred music. Based in part on Idelsohn’s identification of unique patterns in Hebrew traditional melodies, and Suzanne Haik-Vantoura’s work on musical code around words in the Torah (Jewish scriptures), SAVAE has given the modern world a glimpse of Jewish worship 2,000 years ago. The group performs songs based on the Shema (the Judeo-Christian declaration of the oneness of God), the Beatitudes of Jesus, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Ten Commandments in accurate dialects of Aramaic, Hebrew, and Greek. The group accompanies their haunting vocals—including joyful ululations that are still heard in Middle Eastern cultures today—with reproductions of instruments known to exist in the first century of the Common Era, including the shofar (ram’s horn), lyre, harp, and tziltzal (cymbals).

This is a fascinating musical journey that transcends cultures: the Jewish Torah has been included in the Christian Bible, and the ancient dialect of Babylonian Aramaic has been kept alive by Iraqi Muslims, who recognize figures in both Judaism and Christianity. Many of the translations included in the extensive liner notes are fresh, such as Jesus’s saying in Matthew 5:3. Typically translated as "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God," SAVAE reveals another depth of meaning by including the following translation: "Blessed are those who devotedly hold fast to the spirit of life; to them belong the inner kingdom and queendom of heaven." The words to another song, "Song of Seikilos," were found on a first-century gravestone, and are resoundingly beautiful: "As long as you live, shine. / Let nothing grieve you beyond measure. / For your life is short and time will claim its tribute."

While Ancient Echoes may be somewhat inaccessible to the causal listener, many layers of spiritual worship are present in the music and lyrics. Plan to listen with liner notes in hand the first two or three times. The experience is definitely worthwhile. Given the current world climate, projects that focus on shared heritage remind us that we are all humans, and that we all come from the same place.

Adrin Fisher