Re: Adon Olam

[Barbara462 <Barbara462...>]

I have an interesting Adon Olam experience to relate.  I serve a very new
congregation (kind of a conservative/reform hybrid).  Like many others we end
our Shabbat evening and morning services with Adon Olam.  In our Shabbat
morning services, the children of the congregation lead Adon Olam (in fact the
entire end of the service).  Anyway, we started a practice of switching off.
One week I choose the tune for Adon Olam; one week they do.  

For my turns I introduced several lovely and freilach melodies (all
"legitimate")--some traditional; some noveau chassidic; some Israeli, some
American (but traditional) composed.  Their preferences were the Barney theme,
Yankee doodle, etc.  So I cringed, bore the compromise and allowed it.  It was
wonderful to have instigated this excitement and to see the kids on Shabbat
morning go from whatevera AO they had chosen and right into Kiddush, singing a
traditional V'shamru with as much gusto as they had "their" Adon Olam.

Something very interesting has happened.  Someone came up as a choice one week
of doing Adon Olam to a well-know L'cha Dodi tune.  Everyone loved it, and it
then became the kids' favorite tune.  Barney and Yankee doodle began to fade
slightly from the repetoire.  The next time, I asked them to choose a tune
(either the the L'cha dodi tune or a new one) that was more "traditional."

They continued to add new (traditional) versions to their repetoire.  Last
week, I was stunned (and extremely pleased) when it was their turn again and
they asked me to help them lead a chassidic-type version (with a dai-didi-dai-
dai refrain) they had heard me lead earlier in the year.  It occurred to me
that what had happened as they were given choices between the rich Jewish
melodies and the "tv" theme/kid songs they (on their own) opted for the more
the conventional.  Now each week (when it's their turn) I can expect (most of
the time) a legitimately appropriate tune for Shabbat with my Adon Olam.  

That is not to say, however, the tv tunes have dissappeared.  They haven't.
They might crop up now and then.  And, actually, for Purim, my B'nai Mitzvah
class is holding a "worst Adon Olam tune contest" as part of the carnival.
(See Safam's website for the 100 worst AO tunes!)

This is my first post to the list, so sorry for the lenght of this
contribution

Barb Barnett
Chicago area