‘What Would Love Do Now?’ began its life as a poem, written by Julie Barnes. Having met Judith in the summer of 2020, Julie asked her in early 2021 whether she’d consider composing a setting for the poem. And so a beautiful collaboration and song cycle were born – with many more ideas of how to be of service with this powerful message of positivity and hope around the end of life.
Judith was commissioned by the Jewish Community Choir, Kolot HaLev, to create a setting of the ‘Eshet Chayil’ in early 2020. This was due to be performed in May that year and since it wasn’t possible to do so, a virtual version of the second section of the piece was made in late 2021, the wonderful work of Cliff Braverman co-ordinating the individual recordings of all the choir members.
Gesher was selected for inclusion in a concert by the Zamir Choir on 22nd March 2020 at the Lincoln Centre in New York. Though the concert had to be cancelled, groups of young people internationally had learned the song for it, and this virtual version was created.
Connected was chosen in 2018 as part of a collection by Transcontinental Music called ‘Songs of Protest and Hope’.
Oseh Shalom and Angel Blessing/I Walk In Beauty were selected for the Shalshelet Festival of new Jewish liturgical music in December 2016. Gesher and Brich Rachamana had been included in an earlier Shalshelet selection.
There’s a newer version of the Oseh Shalom, sung by the Debbie Friedman school of sacred music first year cantorial students 2018… Very exciting!!
Judith Silver 