Re: sher questions

[Steve Weintraub <dancinsteve...>]

Adrienne:

According to Naomi, in the Workmen's Circle sher, the Chutzenyu tune always
returned for the circling.

For our version of the Veretski Pass sher, we used the form
AABB CCDDCDD EEFF GGHHGGHH 4 times through.  You'll notice that the E
section, with Stu's great digging bass, is a very nice cue for the circling.
(I could have used the original form AABBAABB etc, with the long bow and
over under, plus a right hand star for the men and women to fill out the
extra music, but it seemed just too much.)

The advantage of having some tune come back for the circling is simply to
let the dancers know to start again. However, the dance feels fine if a long
winded and emphatic tune is used at each circling, a tune that has a virtual
A feeling. ( a non- klezmer example might be "hail, hail, the gangs all
here", copped from G&S) whereas good verse tunes are shorter and have mid
phrase accents, like "you are my sunshine" (if played with heavy accents:
you are my SUN- SHINE, my only SUN- SHINE, etc)

By the way, Matt Temkin put together a chart for at least one perfect time
thru the AR sher, using the Chutzenyu tune for the chorus, and another of
the the Kamen shers- a 3 parter ideal for the leading out. In fact , the
final section of the 3 parter has this busy, hurry up quality that almost
yells:  "hurry up and finish the figure, already!" He's planning to come up
with several more sets that feel right.

So, am I suggesting that the musicians (or at least arrangers) develop a
feel for the dance and for the taxonomy of possible tunes?

I guess I am.

-Steve




----- Original Message ----- 
From: <AGREENBA (at) aol(dot)com>
To: "World music from a Jewish slant" <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
Sent: Saturday, April 24, 2004 10:11 AM
Subject: Re: sher questions


> Hi Steve and Helen and all!
> I just want to clarify Steve's clarifications for myself:
> When you say, Steve, the chorus always returns - the circling and the use
of, say, the Veretsky Pass AABB portions - you ARE saying that, unlike the
Philly sher where there are NUMEROUS square phrases to play- that indeed the
implication of the VP AABB means the musicians ARE playing that same phrase
everytime the sher dances the Chorus/the circling. Right?
> When Matt was explaining what he was learning as the AR (formerly known as
the WC :-)) sher implied, it seemed to me, that NO material was ever
repeated musically. In Philly sher this of course is possible, although I've
never counted exactly how many phrases are truly there and therefore
possible to do without any repeating for a total of the 8 times one must get
a chorus ( always new music....) in.
> Could you briefly explain for those of us who won't see you until
Klezkanada?
> By the way, I for one appreciated your last "simplification" so that now I
understand what happens first (circling/chorus) bowing/exchanging, dancing
with partner and others and then the optional promenade - my favorite part
which won't be optional when I teach it :-)
> (For our being able to continue this dance ya have to, seems to me, have
that ideal group of guests at a simcha who are truly into learning the
dance - and then showing up to all your other simchas. I've even thought of
hiring some guests to travel with the band....Not really, but wouldn't that
be nice?)
>
> Tenkyu
>
> Adrianne
> ___________________________
> Adrianne Greenbaum
> Assoc. Prof. of Flute, Mount Holyoke College
> Klezmer flutist, "FleytMuzik"
> cdbaby or fluteworld
>
>

---------------------- jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org ---------------------+