A Great Miracle
We could all use a little more sweetness; to feel steady, and warm, and protected in our memories. “A Great Miracle” is an album that invites us to imagine the intimate sound of Chanukah ritual where Christmas carols usually prevail. It is a new Jewish “holiday” album, an entry into the distinctly American religious-musical marketplace of nostalgia, childish joy and commercialism associated with the Christmas season.
The record faces in two directions, one faced inward towards memory of family cantorial traditions for Chanukah, and the other faced outward towards American Christmas, a tribute to the iconoclastic “American primitive” guitar hero John Fahey’s beautifully austere guitar solo Christmas records.
Listen on Spotify and buy the full album on Bandcamp.
Released November, 2021 ℗ 2021 Reboot Records.
Jeremiah Lockwood is a scholar and musician, working in the fields of Jewish studies, performance studies, and ethnomusicology.
Reflections
Reflecting on the “Holiday Concert”
What is the sound of Chanukah? Is it a "musical holiday"?
Saying No to Noël
Opposition to the Christmas tree is a trope in Jewish American identity maintenance. Is there a musical equivalent?
A Very Jewish Christmas
What role have Jews played in shaping the sounds of American Christmas? What purposes do songs like "White Christmas" serve for Jewish people?
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