Leonard Bernstein at 100

Overview

Round for Chorus and Piano

In this composition for the synagogue, Leonard Bernstein sets to music the popular liturgical hymn Yigdal, a poetic statement of the Maimonidean creed [thirteen principles of the Jewish faith] that often marks the end of the evening service. Bernstein's Yigdal was written for the United Synagogue Commission on Jewish Education and included in Harry Coopersmith's anthology, U-leshonenu rinah: The Songs We Sing (New York, 1950).

Lyrics

Sung in Hebrew

We exalt and praise the presence of the living God;
His existence and being transcend all time - was, is, and will forever be.
His essence is unity - His uniqueness lies in His oneness, He is unlike any other unity;
That oneness is inscrutable and without end.
Praised be His glorious name for all eternity.

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