“Snag”, A Nusach Freak reader, recently commented that I have not posted for over a year. Boy, time has really flown….
So what has happened in the last year? ---- The NF has been busy with life, kids, career etc. Something had to give and so the blog has gone ignored.

So here is the post high holiday roundup --- the NF went to the great for selichot and it was well, great especially when the choir sang this melody before shma koleinu (that video is kinda creepy, huh?).

The NF led Shacharit on day 1 of RH in our shul's main minyan which was followed by a grade A  musaf by Dr. D.    Dr D. and I sang this duet during mussaf.
In the hours before Yom Kippur, the NF traded countless emails with an NF fan/reader that needed some ideas for Kol nidrei/Shacharit. Remember folks, I’m here for you.

The NF led kol nidrei in a small overflow minyan. Like last year, Dr and I provided musical back-up for the rav of our shul who led neila.

The NF was then asked to lead Geshem on Simchat torah --- in tribute to the many happy years I spent in mini-Breuers/Munks growing up (as well as the high percentage of Western Europeans in our shul), I used the yekkish Nagil v’nismach for Naaritzcha (look at this website under Simchat Torah - hallel - Ana Hashem if you are interested), winning a gong and a golden shtender from an NF fan in from London. The old yekkish Don of the shul came over to me afterward and awarded me the highest compliment that a yekkish Don can give ---היה בטוב טעם (“It was done in good taste”).

Line of the year: While having a Shabbat afternoon tea a few weeks ago, Dr D and I were discussing some of the talk going on in our shul on how to prevent unpopular davening practices. So Dr D tells me that the shul so loves his davening (actually, they really do) that the women of the kehilla have been known to throw their underwear at him from the ezrat nashim at the end of davening.  After an awkward silence, I responded, “Dr. D. I believe that you have crossed the Freundel line”.
Second line of the year: there was a bar mitzvah in shul this past Shabbat. The family of frogs Frenchmen requested that Mini Martini lead kabbalat Shabbat. He sang everything that was in the siddur. He sang things that weren’t in the siddur. And he sang slowly. It was so bad that a large group left the shul early to join ISIS. But we were only getting warmed up. Shabbat morning a guest Froggie Chazzan got up and led shacharit in an over the top operatic style singing absolutely nothing and schlepping it out. As he finished, I turned to Mr. Oldsmobile sitting in front of me and said – “I believe we have been victims of cantorial masturbation”. His response: I’m not sure if you could consider that cantorial.”