Re: Adon Olam

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Adrian:  David Shneyer tells me that the synagogue tune to the Shema is by
Sulzer, a big composer of synagogue songs i can't remember when but before
this century.  Emily

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> From: Adrian A. Durlester <durleste (at) plains(dot)NoDak(dot)edu>
> To: 'hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org'
> Subject: RE: Adon Olam
> Date: Thursday, March 05, 1998 10:03 AM
> 
> Raquel:
> 
> Having been privileged to attend one of those workshops you mentioned
given by 
> you and your husband, I can attest that you have some very excellent
ideas and 
> approaches to bringing spirituality into the classroom. My problem with
what 
> you are saying here is that you are defining how to create sacred space
and a 
> "spiritual atmosphere" through a very narrow set of criteria.  And you
are 
> attempting to define what is meaningful for others by using what is
meaningful 
> for you as the standard. I'm willing to bet that the party we held on the
far 
> side of the reed sea was a real blowout! I imagine people were singing
praises 
> to God using some of the popular melodies and drinking songs of the time.
As 
> you said, it's the kavanah, the intent, that counts.
> 
> I think it is dangerous to require a link between a melody and specific
words, 
> i.e. that a tune was written with specific words in mind. The fact that
the 
> theme to Gilligan's island can be used with other words (or simply
instrumen  
> tally) proves that the melody itself is good. Innocuous maybe, but it
stands on 
> its own. So do the words to Adon Olam.
> 
> Last summer, Klepper taught us a beautiful oriental Adon Olam. It turns
out 
> that the melody was actually written as a Yigdal! Good tune, good
words-they 
> can all go together-interchangeably (most of the time.)
> 
> Did Mozart write music with the intent it would be the background music
for 
> Elvira Madigan ? (Oy, I'm dating myself.) Did Tchaikowsky write the 1812 
> Overture to sell breakfast cereal? ("This is the cereal that's shot from
guns" 
> -how many of you remember that one?) But the music works in those
settings. In 
> a similar way, the interchange of melodies and words, or melodies and
purpose 
> can be mixed, interchanged, and still be a good and valuable thing. Did
whoever 
> composed the Viennese drinking song that has become the popular tune for
the 
> Shema expect it to be used for that purpose? (I don't know this for fact,
it's 
> just that every time I hear that tune I think Vienna and beer steins! The

> experts on this list can correct me if I'm wrong.)
> 
> A melody "captures the feeling of the text" if the person combining the
two 
> feels it so.  The songwriters on the list won't want to hear me say this,
but, 
> once you release the music of your heart to the world, it's there for us,
as 
> individuals, to use-and if we want to put different words to it-that's
our 
> choice. (I'm not talking copyright, amateur or professional performance 
> here-just what we might do in our own showers.) God, the rabbis, and
numerous 
> anonymous composers and poets and scholars gave us all the prayers,
piyyutim, 
> melodies that are our liturgy. Let us make of them what we will so long
as wish 
> use them in praise to, adoration of, or in service to God.
> 
> Adrian
> 
> 
> 
> On Thursday, March 05, 1998 0:14, QuelliPG [SMTP:QuelliPG (at) aol(dot)com] 
> wrote:
> > I respectfully disagree, Neil.  As I just wrote to Rick, I think that
the
> > kavannah is much more important than the words.  (maybe I'm just a
chassid at
> > heart)  Not that we don't want our students to learn the words. 
Absolutely
> > we
> > do.  And sure, go ahead and use a catchy upbeat tune.  Uzi Hitman's
tune is
> > FUN!  It's silly.  I don't really think it captures the feeling of the
text,
> > but it was  WRITTEN FOR THOSE WORDS!  I don't picture Bob Denver and
Alan
> > Hale
> > when I sing it!  There are lots of other tunes (or you can make up a
simple
> > one of your own) that can be used to teach the words, without
cheapening 
> them!
> >
> > I agree that music is the best way for many people (including myself)
to
> > learn
> > words, history facts, spelling words, foreign languages, and countless
other
> > things...I still can name all the Torah portions in order because of a
song I
> > was taught as a child in day school!  And Schoolhouse Rock is another
> > excellent example!  But I don't want kids to memorize prayers.  I want
them
> > to
> > learn to read Hebrew and read the prayers.  And I want them to be
thinking
> > about what they're saying as they say/sing the prayers!  The object of
> > praying
> > in Sunday school or Junior congregation on shabbat is not just to have
a good
> > time.  It's to have a meaningful time.  AND the critical  key to good
praying
> > with kids is having adults who are praying their guts out.  Sit in a
circle.
> > Wrap yourself in your talit.  Shuckle. close your eyes.  sing loud. 
pray
> > like
> > you personally are going to bring the mashiach!  You'll find that your
> > students will follow suit or at least you will have gotten their
attention
> > and
> > made an impression on them that prayer is meaningful and important to
you.
> > I've seen many a class where the teacher is sitting at his/her desk and
the
> > kids at theirs and they say Ok, now we're going to do tefillot.  turn
to
> > page...  and then spend the whole time disciplining or walking around
> > reminding kids to sing etc.  If the teacher isn't praying why should
they?
> > oops, I'm getting carried away...it's late.  My husband and I do a
whole
> > workshop on bringing spirituality into the religious school setting and
I
> > could go on and on...
> > Raquel