RE: Jewish Folk Music?

[Adrian A. Durlester <durleste...>]

The term "new" is the whole point. Slowly, the style of this contemporary music 
may come to replace the "traditional nusach" of t'filla. Is it inconceivable 
that, several centuries from now, Jewish musical scholars will be debating the 
origins of the so called "kleppereise" "friedmanish" "cotlerian" perhaps even 
"gershonian"  styles of nusach?

You speak of the "correct nusach" as if it were mi-Sinai, and we both know that 
is not the case. The liberal Jewish movements are, to some degree, reshaping 
and re-arranging the traditional t'fillot. It is not at all surprising then 
that
new musical modes may become the underlying nusach of this new liturgy. Good 
songwriters strive to make their music match the intent of the text. Does not 
traditional nusach do the same? What makes one superior to the other?

Just because something is more fun doesn't mean it isn't classic or 
traditional, either.

Now, that being said, I have a great affinity for the so-called "traditional" 
nusach, and wish more songwriters were familiar with it and worked it into 
their music (as some are.) In so doing are they not creating a "New American 
Nusach" ?

And on the subject of Jewish folk music:
Is not Torah cantillation the ultimate "folk melody" ? For it served to help 
people learn the text even when they didn't know how to read it, or what it 
meant. And is that also not the goal of the nusach? If the contemporary music 
being used and written serves this purpose during t'filla, then it is, by 
definition, nusach.

Just my two shekels,

Adrian

On Tuesday, March 03, 1998 13:38, QuelliPG [SMTP:QuelliPG (at) aol(dot)com] 
wrote:
> I don't like the term "new American nusach" at all.  Nuschaot refer to
> specific musical modes.  When a service is chanted, a specific mode, a
> specific scale is used for each section of the service and specific to the
> day
> and time of day.  There are contemporary songs and liturgical settings which
> fit within each mode, including some of Jeff and Debbie's and others'
> including my own.  To call all contemporary liturgical settings "new Amer.
> nusach" implies that they all fit in a particular musical mode and also that
> they are interchangable with traditional nusach.  While in many places they
> ARE used in place of traditional nusach, they do not necessarily reflect the
> correct nusach.  In more traditional synagogues, they would be reserved for
> non-traditional settings (youth service, family retreats, etc.)  They are
> great educational tools for teaching people the words and in many cases the
> meanings of the prayers.  And yes, they are usually more fun to sing than the
> traditional melodies.  But they are NOT nusach.
>
> On another topic, one of my pet peeves is the way people sing Adon Olam.  I
> used to think it was fun to sing it to all kinds of irreverent tunes,
> especially since its iambic pentameter rhythm allows it to fit easily to
> almost any tune.  But after studying the text with a rabbi friend in Detroit
> a
> few years ago, I am no longer able to do that.  And when my kids sing it to
> the Gopher's rouser (go U of M) at their day school or to Gilligan's Island
> theme it drives me crazy!  This prayer is a strong declaration of faith in
> God.  The first half speaks of God as all powerful, all-knowing, creator.
>  THe
> second half speaks of a personal God who is protector, refuge in  times of
> need, etc.  It is a powerful message that God is and can be both things at
> the
> same time.  I'm working on a melody that reflects these 2 moods/images of 
God.
>
> Does anyone else have either a great melody or an opinion on this???
> Raquel (singer/songwriter/music teacher/Jewish educator/occasional cantorial
> soloist/etc. etc.  sorry I never introduced myself)