Re[2]: Associations

[richard_wolpoe <richard_wolpoe...>]

Dear Sir Winston,
        let me clarify a few points from my humble perspective:

1)  there is not a contest here which melody is best.  There is value in a 
LOT of different meoldies.

2)  hopefully, the meoldy is congruent with the litrugy or perhpas with the 
occasion.  I engage in "wedding" melodies on the the shabbos of an Aufruf 
or of a wedding anniversary, because it's in the spirit of the day, 
although not of the piece.  ( By weeding meoldies, I mean jewshi ones such 
as Od Yishomo, Ahser boro, Simon Tov uMazel Tov, etc.)

3)  certain melodies carry "baggage".  EG Wagner I think has a lot of 
unpleasant associations.  No itsy bisy's baggage is that it is a popular 
nuersery rhyme.  So for kids - gezuntaheit!.  however, adults MIGHT find 
that this piece has trivial overtones and might detract from the dignity of 
the service.  it doesn't mean that the music is INTRINSICALLY bad, it;'s 
just it has a very "unserisou" association.

4)  I've emailed Wendy and Itzik Leib, that if we were more familiar with 
our own rich repertoire of liturgical modes, we could use them isntead of 
some of the more popular tunes.  IE, if the end of Oleinu needs a birght 
cheery closing, maybe we can do better than 3 blind mice and the farmer in 
the Dell.  Not that thsoe tunes are aweful, it's that when people realize 
their association to nursery tunes, it detracts from their concentration.  
however, a bright cheery Chassidic march might fit the bill without the 
negative baggage.  Or perhaps something from a lewandowksi.

Regards,
Rich Wolpoe 




______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re: Associations 
Author:  <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org > at tcpgate
Date:    3/3/98 9:00 PM



Who gave us the right to "adapt" Adon Olam (or any part of the liturgy) to 
any melody "we" see fit?


who gave any of the great composers of Jewish music the "right" to do so. As 
I write this, I am listening to Tal recording of Yossele Rosenblatt, one of 
my favorite pieces.  On the same CD is the Kaminsky version of the Kaddish.  
Who gave Lewindowski the hechsher to compose all of the beautiful music we 
have?

I have been reading these "itsy bitsy spider" posts for the last three weeks 
or so, and wondering...

If it is so disgusting, how did it become THE standard in every shul I have 
ever been in.   The popularity and meaningfulness of any melody rests with 
the congregation and if a congregation wishes to change, we are all free to 
do so.

I came across a CD of a concert of Russian Chazonim with a wonderful tune 
for Kadishenu B'mitzvosecha.  I had never heard it before, but it was so 
infectious that I introduced it to our congregation.  It has a refrain of 
Bam Bitty Bam, which all of the congregation, and especially the children 
love.   Our services are not concerts, and if a particular melody is 
uplifting and meaningful, then I see nothing wrong with introducing it or 
using one that is use.  I have not read any posts which offer alternatives 
to the Alenu melody, just a disapproval of the "itsy bitsy spider" melody. 
BTW, if you sing itsy bitsy spider,,,it is not the exact melody used in 
Alenu, but there is a resemblance.
Concerning Adon Olam, as a younger person, I was the adult leader of a Jr 
Congregation in Maryland.  We would learn Adon Olam to different melodies 
and occasionally we would be invited to the "adult" service at the end of 
the service and the congregation always looked forward what I had cooked up, 
amongst them "she'll be comin around the mountain and special for Pesach 
(which I still do in my current congregation) Adir Hu.  For Channukah we 
sing to Mo-oz Tsur (its a stretch but can be fit).  It adds meaning and I 
see nothing wrong with it.
When we left Md for Orlando, Florida, the service which was dedicated to 
saying goodbye to our family ended with a surprise Adon Olam, suggested and 
encouraged by the Rabbi, and kept strictly secret from me.  It brought tears 
to my eyes when as a tribute to my tenure there, the kids and congregation 
sang Adon Olam to "Its A Small World."

While traditional nusach is wonderful, we do not need to always sing without 
improvision.

Winston Weilheimer
Spiritual Leader (lay Rabbi)
Temple Israel of DeLand (fl)