The Polina Shepherd Vocal Experience presents;

CHUTZPAH -
The Brighton & Hove Yiddish Choir

Polina leads us with such infectious enthusiasm. I realise it has made me do something I never thought I could.
Cecile Levine

MUSIC LOVERS OF ALL BACKGROUNDS AND SINGING LEVELS ARE INVITED. The Choir is a secular community, but we do talk about the historic context of our material, carefully translating Yiddish words and paying attention to details of the musical language.

CONTACTS:
Musical Director, Polina (01273) 553737
New Members Contact Person, Rosalind (01273) 541031

SAMPLES FROM OUR LAST CONCERT:
Romaynishe nign - fragment
Oy da ne Vecher - fragment
A la Una - fragment
Kosher Tants - fragment

TEACHING & LEARNING mainly by ear.

REPERTOIRE: The choir material features Jewish folk songs in Yiddish and Hebrew, Niggunim (the age old Jewish “songs without words”), also songs in Ladino, Russian and Ukrainian,combined with original compositions, challenging improvisation in Jewish modes, with special attention to folk elements in singing - mostly a capella.
SCHEDULE:
November 12, 19, 26
December 3, 10, 17, Monday 29 at Maxine"s (plus ending season party)
2009 season starts 28 January

VENUE: Ralli Hall (near Hove station), 81 Denmark Villas, Hove, East Sussex BN3 3TH; left of the main entrance and down the slope. There is a small parking area.

FEEs: £6 per session or £4 per session for Ralli Hall members. (Membership £27 for 2009) NEW members pay for the first sessions as a "trial" but from then on general rules apply: choir members to pay for one month on the first session of each month; you don’t pay for sessions you can’t attend if you tell us in advance. Once paid, the deposit is non-refundable.

TEXTS & SAMPLES

Shlof zhe mayn feygele Folk song, lullaby.
Sleep, my little one, close your eyes, sleep, my child, sleep...

Shlof zhe, mayn feygele
Makh tsu di eygele
Shlof, mayn kind, shlof
Makh tsu dayn eygele
Mayn tayer feygele
shlof, my kind, shlof

Example of improvisation in Jewish modes: - Ay-yay-yay by Ashkenazim

Avinu Malkeinu – Hebrew prayer
Our Parent, Our Sovereign, grant us justice and bring us salvation, grant us justice and loving kindness and bring us salvation.

Avinu malkeinu chaneinu va-aneinu /2
ki ein banu ma"asim
Asei imanu tz"dakah va-chesed /2
v"hoshi"einu
Avinu malkeinu chaneinu va-aneinu /2
ki ein banu ma"asim

Volt ikh gehat koyekh
Based on a Chassidic Shabbes song. Yiddish adapted by Adrienne Cooper, English by Sarah Gordon.

1.Volt ikh gehat koyekh
Volt ikh gelofn in di gasn
Volt ikh geshrign sholem
Sholem Sholem Sholem

2.If my voice were louder
if my body stronger
I would tear through the streets
Shouting peace, peace!

Moshe emes - folk tune
Moyshe emes, emes, emes ve toyraso emes

Oy to ne vecher/ Oy, s"iz nit ovnt - Russian folk song in Russian and Yiddish
Listen to a version of the song
Oh, it is not yet evening, not yet evening. I couldn"t sleep all night and I had a dream.I had a dream that my horse started dancing like crazy underneath me. Evil winds from the west suddenly got into a wild play and tore the black skull cap from my head. I asked a wise old man and he explained my dream well. "Oh, your poor head will perish", he said.

1. Oy to ne vecher da ne vecher,
Mne malim malo spalos’./2
Oy da vo sne prividelos".

2.Oy, s’iz nit ovnt, s’iz nit ovnt,
Kh’bin geven a yunger yat,/2
Kholem hob ikh mir gehat.

Ne zhurit"sa khloptsi - Ukrainian Hassidic song
Yesterday is gone, and tomorrow is not here yet. There is only a little bit of today; don"t disturb it with worry. Grab a drink as long as you"re alive; in the World To Come, you won"t get any.

Ne zhurit’sa khloptsi,
Sho iz nami bude,
Mi pojidem do korchomki,
Tam gorilka bude.

S’iz nito keyn nekhtn,
S’nokh nito der morgn;
S’iz nokh do a bisele haynt,
Shtert im nit mit zorgn.

A la una yo naci
Music: Anonymous, Sephardic, late 15th century; Lyrics: Joaquin Diaz
another version
one more version

At one I was born, at two I grew up, at three I took a lover, at four I married. I married my lover. Tell me, girl, where are you from? For I long to get to know you.If you have no lover I will defend you. Going off to war I threw kisses into the air: one is for my mother, the other is for you

1.A la una yo naci
A las dos m"engrandeci
A las tres tomi amante
A las cuatro me cazi
Me cazi con un amor

2.Dime nina donde vienes
Que te quero conocer
Si tu no tienes amante
Yo te hare defender

3.Yendome para laguerra
Dos bezos al aire di
El uno es para mi madre
Y el otro para ti