During the pandemic, the cooped-up Zaslaw/Borthwick family—a.k.a. the Zaswick Quartet—started making videos of David Borthwick’s string arrangements for fun, sometimes doubling parts, occasionally abetted remotely by other members of the CBH Strings. They ended up sharing their homegrown video of “Make Our Garden Grow” with the congregation during remote Simchat Torah services, and our music leaders decided to include the audio here.
This song is the finale from Leonard Bernstein’s musical adaptation of the philosophical satire Candide by Voltaire. At the end of the show, the main characters, having endured a series of calamities and setbacks, content themselves doing what they can to improve this flawed world in their own small ways. While the music stands on its own, the original lyrics speak to us, too:
We’re neither pure, nor wise, nor good
We’ll do the best we know
We’ll build our house and chop our wood
And make our garden grow
supported by 16 fans who also own “Make Our Garden Grow”
It is awakening, moving, and thought/action provoking. Thank you for holding out the messages in these melodies. The album is guided my awareness towards a deep way of living. ctrammell2020
supported by 5 fans who also own “Make Our Garden Grow”
This work is a reflection of the considerate loving kindness of the composers.
I was fortunate to have been a choir student of Rebekka Goldsmith.
Rob Duyungan
Originally sung by Holocaust survivors in Yiddish, Polish and French, this moving album is now available in a gorgeous LP package. Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 11, 2022
supported by 4 fans who also own “Make Our Garden Grow”
It is rich in women's energy, deeply felt sounds of womb energy. A beautiful expression of the best of women in the Jewish hera-tage! Chana Raskin moves my soul, an Irish soul have I! Morgana Morgaine mollymaven