What-ho!
So, I'm a British aspiring apikoros. This doesn't just mean a few extra letters here and there as I spell words correctly, but also means that I will be bringing a slightly different tone and some material that might not come to the attention of American, Canadian and Israeli bloggers (as much as we try to infuse those lands with Britishkeit).
You know, now that I've thought of it, Britishkeit might have been a better name for this blog. Damn.
Anyway, to prove the point I'm going to share something I only came across very recently but which I think is amazing. The background is that in Britain - with our established Church and mild-mannered Christian viewership - we have a weekly TV show, which has just passed its 50th year milestone, called Songs of Praise. This is filmed in a different church every week, and features hymns, a potted history of the area and church, and a sermon from the local vicar (or whatever). Here's a little taste (very, very SFW) (unless you work in a yeshiva or something):
And here's a parody, which is a few years old, from the excellent British sketch show Not The Nine O'Clock News:
So far, so goyisch. But it turns out that, in the past, there have been Jewish versions. Here's one from 1995, featuring Cantor Moshe Haschel and the Neimah Singers:
and 2001, with Cantor Naftali Herstik:
I imagine this will be of almost no interest to anyone from outside Britain, but to see what I always considered a bastion of a part of British culture to which I could never relate and of which I could never be part, to see it all Jewed up is quite a profoundly altering experience for me.
Well, there it all is. Songs of Praise with Jews. Whatever next.
Follow @Upikoros
So, I'm a British aspiring apikoros. This doesn't just mean a few extra letters here and there as I spell words correctly, but also means that I will be bringing a slightly different tone and some material that might not come to the attention of American, Canadian and Israeli bloggers (as much as we try to infuse those lands with Britishkeit).
You know, now that I've thought of it, Britishkeit might have been a better name for this blog. Damn.
Anyway, to prove the point I'm going to share something I only came across very recently but which I think is amazing. The background is that in Britain - with our established Church and mild-mannered Christian viewership - we have a weekly TV show, which has just passed its 50th year milestone, called Songs of Praise. This is filmed in a different church every week, and features hymns, a potted history of the area and church, and a sermon from the local vicar (or whatever). Here's a little taste (very, very SFW) (unless you work in a yeshiva or something):
And here's a parody, which is a few years old, from the excellent British sketch show Not The Nine O'Clock News:
So far, so goyisch. But it turns out that, in the past, there have been Jewish versions. Here's one from 1995, featuring Cantor Moshe Haschel and the Neimah Singers:
and 2001, with Cantor Naftali Herstik:
I imagine this will be of almost no interest to anyone from outside Britain, but to see what I always considered a bastion of a part of British culture to which I could never relate and of which I could never be part, to see it all Jewed up is quite a profoundly altering experience for me.
Well, there it all is. Songs of Praise with Jews. Whatever next.
Follow @Upikoros
No comments:
Post a Comment