https://youtu.be/VHYLbkEkamg# Baruch She'amar | LondonThe origins of Baruch She'amar are of considerable antiquity. Rav Sa'adya Gaon noted its widespread use as early as the ninth century C.E., and Maimonides (the Rambam) attributes its authorship to the Anshei Knesset HaGedolah (the Men of the Great Assembly).According to many leading authorities Baruch She'amar is meant to be sung rather than simply recited. This melodic practice is upheld in the Spanish and Portuguese communities of both London and New York.Several textual variants exist. The version most commonly used among Sephardi and Edot HaMizrach communities consists of 87 words - corresponding to the numerical value of the Hebrew word פז - Paz (refined gold). However, the Spanish and Portuguese tradition, ever the guardian of pre-expulsion Iberian customs, preserves an earlier form of the text which is subtly modified for Shabbatot and Mo'adim.Notes for nerdsThe melody presented here, as preserved in the London tradition, follows a fixed recitative framework. Each phrase begins on the dominant (the fifth degree of the major scale) and gently cadences on the mediant (the third), creating the sense that there is more to come. Only in the final phrase does the melody resolve to the tonic, providing a stable and conclusive ending that underscores the modal integrity of the chant. It also lets the congregation know that they can sit down with confidence.Please like and share.