Re: Adon Olam

[NeilNFW <NeilNFW...>]

In a message dated 98-03-04 08:00:48 EST, Alice Wrote:

<< n response to Raquel's thoughts on Adon Olam, I ponder whether the fact
that
 the words can be used to almost any melody is indicative of the accessibility
 of those words to all, especially in the case of  the young people.  We have
 talked a lot on this list about getting the kids to sing.  So - if they are
 singing the words to tunes that are familiar to them, they are singing!  They
 are learning the words.  The deeper meaning just may have to come later!
  >>

My two cents.....

This is one of the cases where the end will justify the means.  Adon Olam is a
beautiful prayer regarding the attributes of God.  It is also five stanzas and
its "traditional melody" (the one heard on the soundtrack to "The Jazz
Singer") is rather uneventful. 

Teaching children this song, and what it means is one of the goals of my
curriculum; however, we tend to learn that with which we are familiar.
Placing the words to a different tune done not remove the reverence and many
times, in fact, increases the joy.  Furthermore, and most importantly, the
kids learn it.  If I can teach the words, which are rather complicated, using
the "Jeopardy" theme, the William Tell Overture, or even Debbie's "Im Tirtzu,"
and get the words out of the way, I can proceed to teaching the "Traditional",
the Hitman/Ben-Hur melody, or Jeff Klepper's new melody with greater ease.
Familiarity lends itself--I passed two high school history exams by knowing
"The Preamble to the Constitution" by ABC's Schoolhouse Rock (does that date
me?) and "The Declaration" by the Fifth Dimension (that certainly does).

While we are all musicians, we must remember that the tune is secondary to the
message.  Otherwise, we'd be singing a heck of a lot more Niggunim.

B'shalom v'Chag Purim sameach!

Neil