splitting the baby

[cellio]

I am not Solomon, so I have to work harder for an answer. :-)

When I started leading the morning minyan, I did the service exactly as it was taught to me -- Hebrew here, English there, this melody, and so on. I have made a very few changes, gradually; after noticing that different people do in fact do it a little differently, I figured I could get away with that if I didn't jolt people too much. I made changes in the things I most care about.

Over time, I've learned, everyone else who leads this service has drifted away from one particular melody. Some people have asked me to kill it too. The rabbi, who is mara d'atra so may insist but knows the minyan was there before he was so he won't, hates it and said he would be delighted if I chose to get rid of it. I, personally, do not care; it would be hard to find a part of the service that I'm more neutral about. So for the last couple weeks I dropped it, just chanting that passage instead.

Naturally, there is one long-time, regular member who loves singing it and thinks people went behind his back to lobby me. He begged me to put it back. I did this morning, making a slight change to address what I perceive to be the rabbi's main complaint. (I haven't talked with the rabbi yet, so I don't know if that was effective.) Sigh. I wish I actually cared about this particular issue; then I could assert a position and go.

I might look for a different melody and see how that goes. I don't know any that fit all the criteria right now, but I haven't done any real work on this yet. (So hey, if any of you want to make suggestions, I'm open. It's L'dor vador; we currently do this one (ignore cheesy accompaniment please), which the rabbi feels is insufficiently reverent (um, yeah) and too repetitive. I suggested this one to the rabbi; the mood is much better, but he thinks it's still too repetitive. Any suggestions?)

Comments

[530nm330hz.livejournal.com]

Ah, yes. I knew which one you were trying to get rid of before I clicked on the link. And I was going to suggest the Meir Finkelstein one in your second link (here is Zamir's version, recorded in the Spanish Synagogue in Prague with Jacqui Danino doing a stunning solo). But I agree about the overmuch repetition of, repetition of, repetition of, repetition of words.

So I usually do it as straight nusach, which it sounds like wouldn't work for your constituency.

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

I grew up with a "l'dor vador" melody that I think might make the grade, but I don't know if it's findable online. If so, I'll point you there.

Sorry I'm less than helpful...

[jeannegrrl.livejournal.com]

Sorry I don't have suggestions - just a commiseration. Our first shul had (probably still has) this AWFUL melody for Etz Chayim He that they *claim* is a Lithuanian lullaby but in reality sounds more like the type of dirge monks would sing before smacking their faces with hard wooden boards. It's kept in the service by a very vocal passionate minority.

As for the L'dor vador, I happen to like the melody folks at your shul are trying to ditch, but if I come across any other good ones, I'll send them your way.

Good luck!

[sanpaku.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I hate that one. So very schleppy. The other is not that much better. Just do nusach if you can get away with it. Anyone who complains has not been in services for several hours and in desperate need of kiddush.

[cellio]

Thanks for the attribution.

I did it as straight nusach and the strong advocate of the song complained. But I don't know how 90% of the minyan feels about it; I've only heard the strong opinions. Typical. :-)

[cellio]

Do you know it well enough to be able to sing it? Do you have a mic and relevant software on your computer? If not, do you want to sing it over the phone? I'm flexible. :-)

[cellio]

Our first shul had (probably still has) this AWFUL melody for Etz Chayim He

There's more than one melody for that? Well yes, of course there is; there are probably hundreds. But I don't think I can recall a single time when the one I know wasn't the one used at services, no matter what synagogue I was in. (Is the one I know the one you're talking about? No idea.)

[cellio]

Oh, forgot to mention... I like the Finkelstein one a lot, but it's ornate enough that I think of it as being more appropriate for Shabbat/Yom Tov than for weekdays. Maybe I'm wrong about that.

[cellio]

Anyone who complains has not been in services for several hours and in desperate need of kiddush.

Good point!

[(Anonymous)]

I have a mic, and I might be able to do it that way, but if not, I have another solution -- I can sing it onto a cassette tape and then rip the cassette to my computer, make it an mp3, and upload it somewhere.

If I can't do it with the mic easily, I'll do the tape route over the weekend... now to find a blank cassette.

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

That anonymous comment was me, and now I've managed to record it using my mic and recording program. I have it as an mp3, but yousendit isn't cooperating. I'll try to upload it either tomorrow or some time after Shabbat.

[cellio]

Thank you! Much appreciated.

[goljerp]

Yeah, le dor v'dor that goes on forever... I guess it's somewhat appropriate...

I think it's possible to shorten the "old" melody a bit by smushing two of the verses together, but it's still repetitious.

Of course, I'm a sensitive new-age guy, so I sort of like songs that are repetitious, but I agree it can be repetitious.

[baron-steffan.livejournal.com]

Interesting. My reaction is probably going to be the least informed one you get, both musically and liturgically, but perhaps my perspective will have some value due to my situation: not particularly observant (and so rather unbiased), brought up fairly Conservative, now getting involved in a Reform congregation. So okay: given that, the first version strikes me as more "Reform-ish", by which I mean Sefardic/Oriental/folksy/major or "brighter" modal/happy. The second sounds more Conservative-ish, by which I mean Ashkenazic/European/classical/minor-modal/dour. Which do I like better? Hard to say. I'm still adjusting to all the zippy folksy tunes at my "new" schul, er, temple. OTOH, I'm used to straight-up cantorial chanting, so any actual, y'know, music is still a new concept to me %^). Anyway, if the various polarities I've mentioned (Reform/Conservative, major/minor, Ashkenazic/Sefardic, serious/zippy...) are relevant in your decision, here are at least one listener's data points.

[cellio]

Thanks. Your perceptions about the first one are interesting, as I think the only places I've heard that melody are Conservative congregations. :-) (The morning minyan is Conservative, BTW.) But you're right that the folksy style of music is more Reform-ish in general. The first one is designed for people to sing along; the second is more performative in nature (though people can sing along, unlike traditional chazzanut).

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

Here's the YouSendIt link for the mp3 I created. My voice wasn't nearly at its best when I recorded the melody, but I think you can get the general gist.

http://download.yousendit.com/C9C4E2D1381197E7>http://download.yousendit.com/C9C4E2D1381197E7

[cellio]

Thank you! Much appreciated.