morning minyan and melodies

[cellio]

A couple months ago I wrote about a musical issue in the weekday morning minyan. One of the regulars really likes a melody that the rabbi hates, so I was trying to find a way to make everyone happy. This is a followup.

I came up with a new melody that I thought singable enough (and perky enough) to satisfy the congregant without having the excessively-repeated text and cheesy melody that bothered the rabbi. (The cheesy melody didn't do much for me either, but that alone was not enough reason for me to change anything.) On the day I was going to spring it I wanted to take that congregant aside first to clue him in (I'd previously told him that I'd be bringing a new melody). But he wasn't there, and when we got to the t'filah I had my back to the congregation, so I didn't see him come in late. So when we got to l'dor vador I just chanted it, and I heard him say something like "argh". Oops.

He had an aliya, so I was able to whisper in his ear something like "I have a new melody but need your help; stick around after" and he said ok. After the service I told him I needed his help to get the congregation to sing a new melody; I didn't know if they'd be able to follow just me (with my back to them), but if he was also singing it that would help so could I teach it to him right now? Sure, he said, and the person sitting next to him also stuck around. (Good, I thought; this second person has a good strong voice.)

So I sang it for him, then sang it with him a few times, then asked if it worked for him. He said yes, he likes it a lot, and I said he needed to be ready to sing next week. We've now done it for several weeks; the congregant is thrilled and the rabbi is satisfied. I think most of the congregation is indifferent. (In a brief moment of inattention I let slip to the congregant that I wrote it, but I do not believe this is widely known, nor would I want anyone to feel pressured because of that.)

Edit: On reflection, one small piece of this didn't belong in a public entry. Yeah, what's out there is out there, but I'll still try to clean up what I can.

Comments

[530nm330hz.livejournal.com]

I hope you'll share the melody with us!

[cellio]

Working on it. :-) (Right now it lives only in brain cells, which is bad. Need to transcribe.)

[cellio]

By the way, a notational question for you: how do you avoid writing that usual substitution for the name of God (I mean the "A" name) while preserving syllable count so you can make it match the music? I need three syllables, not the two in "Hashem". (There are more than three notes, so I need to do something.) Thanks.

[530nm330hz.livejournal.com]

I personally have no problem with writing it in transliteration, but I have seen "A-do-mai" --- which is also how Zamir sings it when, for example, the music is for a brachah and we don't want to make a bracha levatelah but we also want to preserve the sonic integrity of the composer's intent.

[cellio]

Thanks. I don't have a problem writing it in transliteration either, but wanted to avoid causing a problem for potential readers (or printers). You were one of the people I had in mind there.

Substituting "m" for "n" is a great idea; it still produces the right sound overall, and it's similar in feel to the h/k sub in another name.