“It’s a special brachah from Hashem to work in something that I love”

Throughout the year, accomplished musician and producer SHIMON CHAIM LICHTMAN is the director of the Yingerlach choir, rehearsing songs and harmonies with the choir boys and directing them at studio jobs and events. During the summer, he’s on the head staff at Tzehlimer Camp, creating ruach and giving campers lots of fun and song

A SONG THAT ALWAYS GETS THE CROWD UP AND SINGING
It’s interesting that our camp was always skeptical about having a camp song — we didn’t see the need, so we’ve only had one for the past two years. But those have been hugely successful. We’ve used what I call “question-and-answer” type of songs, where the tune calls for a response, such as Beri Weber’s “Lehisvada,” and we’ve seen amazing involvement.
A SONG THAT TAKES ME BACK TO MY ZEIDE
My Zeide, Reb Yosef Weber, lived in Williamsburg, where he was the gabbai of the Rebbe of Pupa. He was extremely musical, and he led the singing in Pupa over Yamim Noraim and at other events. My zeide loved Chabad niggunim, so when I hear the Chabad “Tzama” or the “Lechatchila Ariber” niggun, it takes me right back to singing with him.
OUR CAMP’S FAVORITE SHABBOS ZEMIROS
All the zemiros are very strong here in camp, but the one that really stands out is “Menuchah V’simchah,” which we sing to the melody of Reb Chaim Banet’s famous “Machnisei Rachamim.” It takes off beautifully.
A SONG THAT HELPS ME RELAX
I’ve always liked to listen to music, but now, in my role as choir director, most of what I listen to is for work purposes, because I need to teach the new material to the boys and work out the vocal arrangements for the choir. So it’s not that relaxing. Still, it’s a special brachah from Hashem to work in something that I love.
AN INSTRUMENT I WISH I COULD PLAY
I play keyboard and piano and also strum a little on guitar, but I wish I could play guitar properly to its full potential. I can play the chords, but I need time to invest in practice.
A SONG THAT TAKES ME BACK TO MY OWN YEARS AS A CAMPER
As a kid, I went to the Vien camp. Our favorite camp song there was Dedi’s “Sim Shalom” — “Nai nan ai nan ai nai nai, ooh ooh ooh….”
A SONG TOO COMPLICATED FOR ME TO SING BUT THAT I STILL LOVE HEARING
Mona Rosenblum composed a song called “Kabbalas HaTorah” with the words of “Atah nigleisa be’anan kvodecha al Har Sinai....” People sometimes sing it on Shavuos, although the words come from Mussaf on Rosh Hashanah. It’s not just a song but a whole musical arrangement, so that you really feel Kabbalas HaTorah happening. There is a part of the music where you feel like the Yidden are sleeping, then Moshe waking them up, you can hear the thunder and lightning, and so on. I love to listen to this piece, but it’s not something that can be sung at a Shabbos seudah, because it isn’t just a song — it’s a combination of soloist, choir, and arrangements.
WORDS THAT GET ME EVERY TIME, NO MATTER THE TUNE
The tefillah that we say when we take out the sefer Torah, “Brich Shemei,” is a very moving piece of the Zohar that always touches me. Any songs with words from that tefillah, from the beginning to the end, really move me. “Yehei ra’ava kadamach,” for example.
MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE ALBUM
That’s a tough question. Two that I love are Shloime Gertner’s Viznitz Inderheim, and Motti Steinmetz’s Atik Yomin, an album of old Vizhnitz songs. I’m not even a Vizhnitzer chassid; I just like those niggunim.
A MEMORABLE CAMP GUEST
We love music here and invite special performers every Friday. One very memorable guest was Yidi Bialostozky, who held the camp spellbound with a story and a song embedded in it. Another was Vizhnitzer chassid Meir Adler. We held a special theme of “Shabbos in Yerushalayim,” and brought Meir as a guest from Eretz Yisrael. He joined us on Erev Shabbos, at toameha time, for a beautiful music experience. He told a long story, played, and sang. One song that made an impression was “Shabbos Shalom Umevorach” to the tune of the old song “Shakah Chamah,” with a high part as added by Shlomo Yehuda Rechnitz on his album Shir 2. I’ve used that myself at events.
SOME MUSICAL HIGHLIGHTS IN CAMP
We do a communal singing event every Friday in camp, with a guest artist. These feature vocal arrangements with full harmonies and counter melody, and get everyone involved in singing. Then we sing these songs which we’ve all learned over Shabbos and at other opportunities, such as welcoming special guests to camp. Some of our favorites are Moshe Goldman’s “Higaleh Na” from Yedid Nefesh, “She’arecha Heim Dofkim” by Pinchas Bichler, and the Vizhnitz “Yehei Ra’avah” by Reb Yitzchok Ungar.
AN ALBUM I’D TAKE ALONG ON A ROAD TRIP
That’s almost my only chance to listen for my own relaxation. I’d take along a collection of oldies, maybe Levy Falkowitz’s A Ehrlicheh Lid, an album of his rendition of old Yom Tov Ehrlich songs.
HOW WE CREATE THE RIGHT ATMOSPHERE FOR THE NINE DAYS AND TISHAH B’AV
We sing Avraham Fried’s “Retzei Hashem Elokeinu be’amcha Yisrael uvisfilasam…” which talks about bringing us home to Yerushalayim. That’s one of the songs we’ve learned vocal arrangements for. We also sing some of the Yiddish songs about galus.

(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 1073)