I had the privledge of enjoying a yekke Yom Kippur this year. This means start at neitz and go without stopping to neilah, at least this yekke minyan does it that way. It's quite a haul. Most of us had white tallisim and white kaepchens, that is, a head covering that looks like the Litvish yarmulka that R' Moshe Feinstein wore, only white.
There are lots of piyutim and the melodies are major key with a sort of bounce to them, lending cavod and grandeur to the occasion.
We used Rabbi Aumann's minhag Ashkenaz Machzor and he lead most of the davening. It's not often one can daven with the author of a mazchor.
My favorite part is the end, not because it's the end, but when the Yekkes do Hashem Hu HaElokim, it's disciplined, in unison, with a consistent melody that gets louder but is never out of control.
Duchaning also has special melodies, again with a bounce to them, major key, and uplifting, and responsive with the Chazan who not only tells the Cohanim the words of the bracha but sings it to them and the Cohanim sing back. This responsive exhange is common in Ashkenaz davening, such as on Friday night when the verses of Tehillim are said responsively, and such as during kiddushah where again Chazaon and tzibur don't talk over each other, they recite words responsively, one to the other.
Yekke davening is very Hirschian, positive, collective, dignified. and Hashem is front and center.
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