JewishTraces in Unexpected Places: Lithuanian a Cappella Group Sings Hebrew Song From Psalms

The location: St. Kotryna's Church in Vilnius, Lithuania.
The singers:  Quorum, the only professional male a cappella group in Lithuania. 
The song: Im Hashem Lo Yivneh Bayit, composed by Los Angeles philanthropist Shlomo Yehuda Rechnitz. 

We don't know how Im Hashem Yivneh Bayit found its way into Quorum's 10th anniversary concert in St. Kotryna's Church, but we're glad it did.

The song debuted with a performance by Mordechai Ben David during Sukkot 5774/2013 at Congregation Shaarei Torah of Los Angeles, CA, and has been performed by other Jewish groups since then, including the Chasidic Shira Choir.

The words of the song come from Psalms 121 and 127

אִם־יְהוָה לֹא־יִבְנֶה בַיִת, שָׁוְא עָמְלוּ בוֹנָיו בּוֹ
אִם־יְהוָה לֹא־יִשְׁמָר־עִיר, שָׁוְא שָׁקַד שׁוֹמֵר
הִנֵּה לֹא־יָנוּם וְלֹא יִישָׁן שׁוֹמֵר יִשְׂרָאֵל


Im HaShem lo yivneh vayit shav amlu vonav bo
Im HaShem lo yishmar ir shav shakad shomer
Hineh lo yanum ve lo yishan Shomer Yisra’el

Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it;
Unless Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.
(Psalm 127:1)
Behold, He who keeps Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep.
(Psalms 121:4)

Here is the song from the concert performance by Quorum, followed by an earlier rendition by the Shira Choir:

Enjoy!

(A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.)