Re: JEWISH-MUSIC digest 2223

[MaxwellSt <MaxwellSt...>]

In a message dated 4/11/2002 7:59:20 PM Central Daylight Time, 
meydele (at) ix(dot)netcom(dot)com writes:


> There has been a recent trend in the Reform movement (and perhaps 
> others?) to edit liturgical music so as to be consonant with the stress 
> patterns of Sephardic Hebrew. For example, in the Barekhu, the tune and 
> word placement are slightly altered so that one sings ha-ve-vo-RAKH, 
> rather than ha-me-VO-rakh.
> Does anyone know of any published discussions of this trend? I 
> have not been able to find more than a few passing references.
> 

I don't think that this is recent.  14 years ago, when I became the Hazzanit 
at the Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation in Evanston, I was carefully 
instructed on how to sing along the lines of Sephardic pronunciations 
("ve-ne-e-mar vehaYA Adoshem...").  I doubt they were unique in this.  
(Sometimes it really damaged the music, too, as in Carlebach's Eli Ata, the 
melody of which is really thrown off when you have to sing eLI aTA.  But 
people with religious agendas rarely put musical considerations first!)
Lori