[HANASHIR:2850] Re: Fr. sephardic?Adon Olam

[Cantor Neil & Katie Schwartz <schwartz...>]

It is from the Provence region of southern France.  I have a very obscure
book of French Jewish liturgical music, and this Adon Olam is in it!

                                                   Cantor Neil Schwartz
>
>    The reason you can't hear anything "Sephardic" about the song may
>be because in this day and age the term "Sephardic" often references
>"exotic."  And "exotic" in this case often references to Middle Eastern,
>North African or Mediterrenean influences.  Problem is, this only covers
>a portion of the Sephardic population.
>        In fact, a large number of Sephardic Jews emigrated to Central
>Europe after 1492 (Amsterdam, London, Bayonne, Bordeaux, Hamburg, etc.).
>These Jews (who comprised the vast majority of Jewish emigrants to America
>and the Caribbean in the 17th-early 19th centuries) developed a musical
>language which was strongly influenced by their musical environment.
>Generally seen as "cultured" members of their society, the European
>Sephardim were among the first Jewish communities to have choirs in their
>>synagogues; they also used a series of liturgical tunes which seemed to
>take much after local folk tunes. A march, for example, would certainly
>not be out of the question.
>Thus, from a musical perspective, the Adon Olam melody *could* have
>come from the Sephardic communities of France.
>
>>
>> The subject of the Adon Olam in Gates of Song, listed as French Separdic,
>> has come up a couple of times on this list.  (It is sometimes affectionately
>> referred to as "the French Navy version" because it sounds like a march.
>> I am now teaching this very singable melody  to my adult choir. The choir
>> members and I agree that there is nothing in the melody which suggests
>> Sephardic roots. Could this be an error.   Anyone have more information?
>>


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