Song of Jacob by Jacob Bachmann (Hebrew MS 59)

service, but often deviates from one place to another, one can easily come to the conclusion that synagogal vocal literature can hardly be called rich, and that the field of synagogue song is by no means exhausted by what has been offered thus far.

I must expressly note here that the present songs have been written and intended primarily for the use of houses of worship in Russia. The fact that singing in these institutions enjoys excellent cultivation and that therefore larger choral groups are available necessitated choral works that often exceeded the scope and breadth of execution of those works published until now. For the same reason, it was necessary to include some numbers that are used exclusively in Russia and therefore cannot be found in other works, such as Amitz-Koach a liturgical poem for the Musaf service, Eschkol a liturgical poem, and others. It naturally does not need to be mentioned that the work can also be used outside of Russia, especially since the cantor is generously provided with recitatives within it, and one will find many smaller, easily performable compositions among them.

And so, I submit this collection to the esteemed congregations and their cantors, while at the same time expressing the wish that it may prove useful and serviceable, and help to contribute to the consecration and beautification of the divine service.