Hebrew Folk Song Suite No. 3

Description

The Hebrew Folk Song Suite No. 3 was commissioned by the Coyle Middle School Honors Band (Rowlett, Texas, Marcia Zoffuto and Jason Wallace, Directors) for performance at the 2003 Midwest International Music Clinic. The work is dedicated to three of composer Leroy Osmon’s teachers—Charles A. Wiley, Richard Kole, and Eddie Green—as a “thank-you …with a great amount of gratitude.”

The first movement (I. Dancing Song) is a Yiddish folksong tided “Bin Ich Mir Gegungen Fishelech Koyfn” (“l went to the market to buy too some little fish”). This song is a satirical, humorous love song in the form of a “hurdy-gurdy-style” dance. In the Yiddish version, the text includes a Chasidic refrain of “day-day-day” (nonsense syllables).

I went to market to buy me some little fish, they had only pickerels that day.
May the villain who stole the love of my head pine and wither away.
Day. day, day, day. etc.

When a gambler gambles at cards, he risks all he’s got on high stakes.
He loses money. but I lost my true love. Lordy, how my poor heart breaks.
Day, day, day. day, etc.

Without any brick, without any stones. you can’t build a house that way.
Oh good people, hear my sad story, see how I’m pining away!
Day. day, day, day, etc..

The second movement (II. A Pious Song) is derived from a melody by the Polish Jewish composer of liturgical music Max Hellman (1901-1963). It is simple and direct, yet musically challenging, and is in the form of a hymn. This was a popular work 75 to 80 years ago and was often sung in Synagogue services. The text reflects the greatness of God.

Early will I seek Thee,
God, my refuge strong,
Late prepared to meet Thee
With my evening song.

Though unto Thy greatness
I, with trembling, soar.
Yet my inmost thinking
Lies Thine eyes before.

What this hail heart dreameth,
And my tongue’s poor speech,
Can they even distant
To Thy greatness read?

Being great in mercy
Thou wilt not despise
Praises which till death’s hour
From my soul shall rise.

The third movement uses two different sources for its material. The introduction is the Hebrew folksong “Shim Lanu” and is a song sung for Tishah B’av (the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av). It mourns the destruction of the First Temple in the year 586 BCE by the Babylonians, and of the Second Temple in the year 70 CE by the Romans (both temples were destroyed on the same day). The text consists of only two lines:

Sing us of the songs of Zion,
How can we sing on strange soil?

The second melody is from the Yiddish folksong “Ale Mentshen Tantzendik. (“Folks are at their dancingest.”). The words describe poor Moyshe who is crying before he is to be monied:

Folks are at their dancingest and jumpingest and laughingest and singingest,
But Moyshele just keeps crying on.

Moyshe, Moyshe, why d’you cry?
I cry, tell you why,
It’s time to go to the chupe. [wedding chapel] Oh, my!

[Each verse begins with a repeat of the first four fin. of MM.]
… It’s time to start feasting. Oh, my!
… It’s time to dance with the couple. Oh, my!
… It time that we were all sleeping. Oh, my!

Published by: RBC Publications