[HANASHIR:3889] Re: High Holy Day Music - Children

[Andy Curry <acurry...>]

I share Raquel's and Randee's "peeve" with regard to incorrect
pronunciations, and I apologize if I gave the wrong stuff.  I happened to
have the written music in my car when I got Meris's query, and I wrote what
was on the music.  I haven't had a chance to review the Hebrew text, but
you can bet I will, since I have to sing the song on Yom Kippur!

One thing I want to point out, however:  Hebrew texts are not always
accurate and/or consistent.  For example, an edition of "Siddur Sim Shalom"
has "Bey ana rachitz" - ("rachetz" is correct).  Should "Y'did nefesh" be
sung to a male or to a female?  Reform and Orthodox siddurim have it in the
masculine, while "Sim Shalom"'s text is written to a female.  Which is
correct?  The answer is, in my opinion, both.

May we all have a meaningful fast.
Andy

At 10:11 PM 9/13/99 EDT, you wrote:
>With all due respect, and please forgive me for embarrassing anyone, as I 
>intend this as a general comment and not aimed at anyone in particular...
>one of my pet peeves is the correct pronounciation of Hebrew - as many of my 
>songwriting colleagues can attest, I find "dumb" mistakes on almost every 
>album of contemporary jewish music that I've heard in recent years.  Most of 
>these mistakes could have been avoided if the person had taken a few extra 
>minutes to look in the siddur or tanach and make sure that they were 
>pronouncing all of the words right.  (little things like La instead of L'  
>and ba instead of b or b instead of v...)  little changes that sometimes 
>change the tense, sometimes change the meaning and sometimes just are 
>grammatically incorrect.    Same thing goes for songleaders and cantors on 
>this list and elsewhere who occasionally learn a song somewhere and don't 
>take the time to double check the original source...unfortunately, not 
>everyone who teaches a workshop on music necessarily is teaching you the 
>right words... so PLEASE - look things up before you pass them on or perform 
>them or whatever...
>having said all that, I'm pretty sure that the words to El nora alilah 
>continue hamtzey lanu m'chilah bish'at han'ilah. (zamru lo probably has it 
>right, altho even there, always check the hebrew and not just the 
>transliteration)  (I don't happen to have a machzor handy- so please check
it 
>out for yourselves...)  
>for those who aren't Hebrew readers, avail yourself of someone who is! and I 
>gladly offer myself as a consultant...
>again, forgive me if I offended anyone. (luckily this is a good week to ask 
>for forgiveness!)
>a happy healthy 5760 to all
>Raquel Gershon 
>
>
>
>
Andy Curry
6016 Holmes St
Kansas City MO 64110-3034
Home: (816)363-8381
Work: (816)545-7739

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