Sinai is a deeply personal musical offering from composer Beth Schafer, whose work explores the intersection of sacred text, contemporary music, and lived Jewish experience. Drawing inspiration from the powerful symbolism of Mount Sinai—the place where revelation meets human voice—Beth approaches these Hebrew liturgical texts not only as prayers but as invitations to reflection and dialogue. Through rich harmonic language and thoughtful interpretation, she treats composition as a form of commentary, allowing the music to illuminate, question, and expand the meaning of the words themselves.
The album is also inseparable from Beth’s long relationship with Temple Sinai in Atlanta, a community that has supported her creative and spiritual evolution. Over the years, the congregation has given her the freedom to experiment, take artistic risks, and develop new musical expressions of Jewish prayer. That partnership has allowed Beth to grow not only as a composer but also as a spiritual leader, shaping a body of work that reflects both personal vision and communal voice.
What makes Sinai especially distinctive is its balance of tradition and innovation. The album is sung entirely in Hebrew, while the musical settings move fluidly across stylistic boundaries, shaped by Beth’s classical training and her openness to diverse musical influences. The result is a collection of liturgical compositions that honor the ancient words while inviting listeners into a living, evolving conversation with the sacred.
Beth Schafer: Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Percussion, Programming, Engineering
Marla Feeney: Violin, Viola, Clarinet
Zac Lavender: Cello
Amy Sue Barston: Cello
Beth Styles: Piano
Julie Silver: featured on Atah Kadosh
Dock Anderson, Wanda Yang Temko, Lalla McGhee, John Caponegro, Tim Gunther, Cantor Tracey Scher, Hannah Schafer: Choir
Nine liturgical settings of music written by Beth celebrating her musical and spiritual relationship with her synagogue, Temple Sinai, in Atlanta, GA. Listen here or download to own!