Over the years writing for Kveller, I’ve covered many a rendition of Adon Olam, that traditional Jewish liturgical poem that seems to work perfectly with so many tunes, including everything from the “Hamilton” soundtrack to the music of Coldplay. But I think I might have found my absolute favorite yet.
Truly, I can’t imagine a more relaxing experience than sitting at synagogue on Shabbat morning or a holiday and hearing Adon Olam set to the tune of Fleetwood Mac’s 1975 song “Landslide.”
The Stevie Nicks ballad is basically a musical holy text, as is the entire album it comes from, “Fleetwood Mac,” known to fans as the White Album. “Landslide” asks the big life questions (and “mirror in the sky” does basically feel like a reference to God), so it’s a wonderful song to contemplate in synagogue, and I’m surprised by how perfectly its melody pairs with the words from Adon Olam.
This tune comes to us from the Reform Baltimore Hebrew Congregation and their gifted cantor, Ben Ellerin, who joined the synagogue’s staff in 2018. Ellerin shared that the tune came by special request, and I’d personally love to thank whoever thought of it and demand more cantorial versions of Fleetwood Mac, please and thank you. In fact, I’d love to go to some Fleetwood Mac-themed synagogue services, if any synagogues are out there reading this.
Ellerin’s rendition, performed with a congregant, is pretty much flawless. I just can’t stop kvelling about it.
Listen to this incredible Adon Olam below:
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