Vus

Vet Zayn Yiddish Folk Song Arranged for SATB Choir unaccompanied by Stephen Hatfield Notes on Pronunciation Yiddish, the language of the Ashkenazi Jewish people of Germany and Eastern Europe, is a fusion of German dialects with Hebrew, Slavic languages and traces of Romance languages. It is written in the Hebrew alphabet.1 If you have spoken or sung German before, you will notice the similarities. There is no one correct way to pronounce Yiddish it will vary from community to community, even person to person. The pronunciation guide below is provided by the publisher, and it is what we will use in our performance to ensure uniformity. Translation and Pronunciation Guide rm I jI j j Vs vt zaIn vs vt zaIn Rom, Oy yoy yo yo. Vus vet zayn, vus vet zayn, fIn pa-pi:r v-ln mi:r Fin papir, veln mir b-jn b-jn I bri:k Boyen, boyen, oy a brik. Kat-n zi:k kat-n zi:k Katshn zikh, katshn zikh, In unt-zr lant tsu-ri:k In undzer land tsurik. Rom, Oy yoy yo yo. Fin papir, veln mir Boyen, boyen, oy a brik. Katshn zikh, katshn zikh, In undzer land tsurik. Vus vet zayn, vus vet zayn, Az Mesheikh vet kimen tsi geyn? Gebrotene toybm vet men kloybm Ovfn gasn breg. Oy yidi doy. Az me-Ik vet kI-mn tsi: gain Az Mesheikh vet kimen tsi geyn? g-br-t-n tI-b()m vet men lkI-bm Gebrotene toybm vet men kloybm v-fn ga-zn breIk Ovfn gasn breg. I jI-dI dI Oy yidi doy.

From paper we will Build a bridge And well roll along Back to our land. What will be when the Messiah comes? Well gather roasted doves From the side of the road.2

1 Yiddish Language, Wikepedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yiddish_language [accessed May 19, 2012]. 2 Stephen Hatfield, Vus Vet Zayn, Colla Voce Music, 2008, p. 2.

 Background In the preface to Stephen Hatfields arrangement of Vus Vet Zayn, he provides some insights about the significance of the text of this song: Paper has a paradoxical symbolism. On the one hand, it suggests any ephemeral everyday thing. On the other hand, since the paper is for writing, and for Jews writing is intimately connected with the preservation of sacred texts, paper also suggests the pillars of law, and the inexorable will of God. Gathering roasted doves from the side of the road suggests a world in which the most delicious experiences and exotic delicacies will fall like mannah out of heaven, and lie ready for the taking.3 Recordings There are several really nice recordings of this piece on YouTube, but they are SSAA versions, so they will be slightly different from your arrangement. Euphony: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjKKhv6pl1I - really nice staging, wonderful choral tone, and fabulous diction listen to this if you want to get your diction really crisp. Jeugdkoor Carmina o.l.v. An Meeusen: http://youtu.be/9gfyb3mqxqg - beautiful choral tone and diction. Analysis Key: Bb Minor (harmonic) Meter: 4/4 Structure: ABB each section consists of two four-measure phrases SECTION MEASURE EVENT AND SCORING A 1-9 Flexible tempo, not too fast; A/B drone on F (Introduction) through most of this section; Sopranos have melody, occasionally doubled by Tenors; singers move to four part harmony leading to and at cadences A 10-17 Pick up tempo, less rubato; Sopranos continue to have melody (slightly altered at final cadence); four part homorhythmic harmony B 17-25 Steadier tempo, and faster; Four part 3 Stephen Hatfield, Vus Vet Zayn, Colla Voce Music, 2008, p. 2.

25-33

A B

34-41 41-49

49-57

ABB

34-57

homorhythmic harmony Very similar to 17-25, but now parts have some ornamentation, and this is sung at a faster tempo. Ms. 17-21 are nearly identical to 25-29 (tenors, note different pitches on the upbeat Vus vet); after this point, the harmonic structure remains the same, but voicings in parts are altered to accommodate ornamentation. Identical to 10-17 Ms. 41-45 are nearly identical to 18-21 except for the following: upbeat is voiced differently (Vus vet), and a syncopation is added at ms. 44; the second half of the phrase (beginning at Gebrotene) significantly differs from previous statements. For one thing, the melody hops from voice to voice: Gebrotene toybm altos and basses have melody; vet men kloybm basses have melody; Ovfn gasn breg altos have melody; other voices harmonize or comment with quasi-improvisational motives such as Oy yididoy. In this statement, the altos have the melody for the entire first phrase, and while the harmonic structure is the same as before, the chords are revoiced so that all parts are singing something different. In the second phrase, the altos again have the melody aside from ms. 55 vet men kloybm basses have melody; again, other voices harmonize or comment as before These measures can be repeated several times, each time getting faster and more energized.

Notes There is a publisher error on p. 8 on the final measure there should be an A natural in both the alto part and the piano reduction. Please make the change in your scores.