Re: Question from BBC/song suggests

Sounds like this producer, Hugh, has his head on straight and sees

the connection between blood libel and the PLO type blood libel

propoganda. I've personally heard alot of this...I went to a University

that had many Iranian fundamentalists on campus, who talked up this

Jewish blood libel thing.

Personally, I don't like the BBC's programming about Jews either.

But maybe Hugh is trying to make a difference. Hell, I once worked

for MCDonald's...that doesn't mean I'd tell anybody to eat there! Or

that I am a bad person and don't love my fellow creatures.

I'd love to know if this will be broadcast on the BBC site when it's done.

My suggestion for songs: Zhe Brent by Mordchke Gerbirtig and also there

is a Yiddish song about the Kishinev Pogrom..I can't remember the composers.

Trudi Goodman

>From: "Jewish Music Distribution"

>Reply-To: jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org

>To: World music from a Jewish slant

>Subject: Re: Question from BBC

>Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 19:47:33 +0100

>Re: Question from BBCDear Francesco

>Thank you very much for your useful comments. I am enclosing here the original request for all those who fealt the need to respond on the political level of this issue, and am grateful for all the musical comments I received.

>Hugh Wrote:

>I am a producer with BBC Radio 4 and I am making a documentary about the history of the blood libel. The programme will be aired next January to coincide with Holocaust Day. The aim is to portray the history of the blood libel from early mediaeval times in England, across Central Europe and ending up in the contemporary Middle East.

>I am very keen to include any relevant music and I wondered if you had any scores or recordings that might possibly be relevant to the subject. This might include songs directly about the blood libel, or mediaeval Jewish music from across Europe.

>With many thanks,

>Hugh XX

>BBC World Current Affairs Radio

>Thanks

>Noa

>*************************************************

>Noa Lachman

>Jewish Music Distribution

>PO Box 67

>Hailsham BN27 4UW

>UK

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>Tel/Fax: (44) 01323 832 863

>Website: www.jewishmusic-jmd.co.uk

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> ----- Original Message -----

> From: Francesco Spagnolo

> To: World music from a Jewish slant

> Sent: Tuesday, August 12, 2003 6:25 PM

> Subject: Re: Question from BBC

> Maybe we can keep this within the boundaries of music -- although I agree that by being involved in music we are political beings, and that it is worthwhile to keep that in mind and to remind ourselves of it as often as we can...

> Maybe the BBC service that contacted Noa was not the news one, but cultural programming, either TV or radio. Speaking as a radio professional, I have to say that BBC cultural programming has an excellent profile, probably one of the best in Europe.

> Getting back to Noa's query: I personally do not know of any Jewish work that dealt specifically with this long lasting aspect of anti-Semitism. The blood libel tradition is part of the general anti-Judaic aspects of Christianity since the Middle Ages. Within Catholocism, such aspects were renounced formally only under John XXIII's Second Vatican Council.

> Catholic musical anti-Judaism has a tradition too. I would suggest the BBC programmers to look into the repertoire of "Improperia", religious musical compositions based on texts accusing the Jews of deicide. It is indeed a very interesting repertoire, which originates straight from medieval times and finds its way into the Baroque. I am away from my music collection, but I remember something by Sammartini related to this. It always amazed me that such inspired music could be written on texts that express such a refined degree of hatred.

> Francesco

> (after a year spent in Jerusalem, one block away from the Green Line...)

> BBC rang me today to ask if I know of any music which is directly related to the blood libel

> Any ideas for them??

> thanks

> Noa

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