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22

Rabbi's Work Debuts
At Madonna University

W

ell, the Catholics like
him. Now Rabbi Craig
Allen would like to gain
similar respect from

Jews.
During his five years at Livo-
nia's Congregation Beit Kodesh,
some congregants have had trou-
ble deciding whether the spiritu-
al leader is a rabbi or a musician.
He has dabbled in both areas for
much of his 47 years.
Two weeks ago, one of his corn-
positions, "Tryptich," was fea-
tured at the spring concert of
Madonna University, right after
three Ave Maria works and be-
fore two missas (parts of the Mass
that are sung).
Rabbi Allen's "Tryptich" in-
cludes sections about "the Ser-
pent," "the Flood" and "the
Tower" which, he says, "are based
on text from prehistoric elements
common to a lot of religions."
A nun Rabbi Allen met at Beit
Kodesh's annual interfaith ser-
vice introduced him to Madon-
na's music director. The rest is
history, including the years of
study and work that have taken
the rabbi around the world with
his music and his faith.
A native of Port Huron, Craig
Allen studied music with Detroit
Symphony Orchestra members
while a student in high school
and at Michigan State Universi-
ty. He also wrote jazz composi-
tions for Marcus Belgrave and
other musicians in the Detroit
area. He graduated MSU with
a bachelor of arts in psychology
and was drafted in 1967 at the
height of the Vietnam War.
His musical background led
him to the U.S. Navy School of
Music, where for six years he
composed military works. Ironi-
cally, because of the military, that
music is played around the world
while Rabbi Allen's religious
themes still struggle for a follow-
ing.
On the advice of a military
chaplain, he left the service and
studied simultaneously at the
Academy for Jewish Religions in
New York, where he was or-
dained, and at the Jewish Theo-
logical Seminary. Over the last
23 years, he has lived in 16 states
and two foreign countries, in-
cluding Israel for two years.
"I would like to take this mu-
sic to Israel," Rabbi Allen said. "It
would be well-received." He
speaks from experience — one of
his compositions won at an Israeli
music festival in 1984 and was
premiered at Tel Aviv's Mann
Auditorium in 1985 by a cham-
ber ensemble of the Israel Phil-
harmonic.

Rabbi Craig Allen
In the program notes he wrote
for Madonna University, Rabbi
Allen said "Tryptich" is based on
the book of Genesis. "The char-
acter of this work is both pri-
mordial and modern. The
Serpent, Flood and Tower (of Ba-
bel) literature are some of the old-
est layers of biblical narrative.
`The cross rhythmic chant na-
ture as well as the use of jazz id-
ioms provide a unique
compatibility. I have attempted
to use the internal rhythm of the
Hebrew language in a mariner
similar to the Florentine aes-
thetic, i.e., the music is inspired
by and subservient to the text."
Rabbi Allen, who has a mas-
ter's degree in musical composi-
tion from George Washington
University, continues to study
privately with William Albright,
chair of the composition depart-
ment at the University of Michi-
gan School of Music.
He was primarily an instru-
mental composer, "but after the
seminary, the biblical impact on
my work increased substantial-
ly."
He utilizes music at religious
services at Beit Kodesh, writing
all of the works for the congrega-
tion's choir. "Music can play a ma-
jor role," he said, "in resensitizing
a world that is increasingly de-
sensitized."
Now he is looking for a Jewish
audience for a renamed and ex-
panded "Tryptich."
Two ballet groups, Paula
Kramer's Detroit Contemporary
Dance Ensemble arid Harriet
Berg's Jewish Community Cen-
ter Festival Dancers, would like
to perform it. But both would
need a grant to cover their costs.
In the meantime, Rabbi Allen
is pleased with his Catholic de-
but. "I may not be the most pro-
found composer in the world and
I may not be the best Hebrew
scholar," he said, "but this is a
case of the sum being greater
than the parts."

❑