Sabbath hymns are a key part of the magic that converts "time into eternity," as Abraham Joshua Heschel so beautifully wrote. Sabbath Fantasy II goes a little deeper than its predecessor. It too weaves Shabbat melodies that draw on Sephardic and Ashkenazi traditions to create what one of my students called a "melt-ly," where the tunes seem to melt together into a single cohesive piece. But in this fantasy, the solo cello assumes a central position, threading the well-known tune Eliyahu (Elijah) meditatively in and around all the other melodies.

Instrumentation

Piccolo

2 Flutes

2 Oboes

2 Bb Clarinets

2 Bb Trumpets

2 Trombones

Timpani

Percussion (3)*

Keyboard

Solo Clarinet, Trumpet, Violin, Viola, and Cello

Strings

*Percussion 1: Xylophone, Suspended Cymbal, Tambourine, Wind Chime

*Percussion 2: Castanets, Bells, Woodblock

*Percussion 3: Triangle, Finger Cymbals, Snare Drum/Cymbal

Sabbath Fantasy II Melodies

1. Eliyahu Hanavi

2. Yom Ze L'yisrael

3. Ya Ribon

4. Y'did Nefesh

5. L'cha Dodi

6. Shabat Shalom

7. Yigdal