9. Yitbārek ‘Egzi’abǝḥer

This piece is heard on different occasions in the liturgical calendar, such as the second prayer during the Səgd service, the closing of the Friday morning prayers and during Tāzkar. A shorter version is performed during the Sabbath morning service. Ultimately, the same melody and a slightly different version of this text are also heard on the New Moon. The present recording, however, is for Sev’e Senvet and Berevo’e Senvet. The purpose of the prayer is to praise the Lord. It builds on Biblical motifs where God as the Creator reigns in the firmament. The text builds on the first chapter of Genesis, on Psalm 29 and on a brief reference to Ezechiel 1:3.

This prayer contains three hemiola verses and a final antiphonal verse. In comparison to the average in the Beta Israel repertoire, its range - more than an octave – is relatively wide.