A couple more for Chanukah!
Have another very traditional song: "Al Hanisim"; words from an extra paragraph inserted into the daily prayers on Chanukah (and Purim), melody by Dov Frimer, sung by Shira Kline:
Video by ShiraKline
Well. The lyrics for "Al Hanisim" are very traditional, anyway--as I said above, the words for this song are those of the introductory phrases of paragraphs inserted into daily prayers on Chanukah and Purim, and it is an expression of thanksgiving for the salvations those two Rabbinic holidays celebrate:
(Note that miracles and salvation come before victories and battles--in order of importance.)
As such, we date it back to the Gaonic period, possibly the 8th or 9th century.
The melody, by Dov Frimer, dates back only to 1974, when it debuted at the Chassidic Song Festival, which makes it traditional for those of us... *ahem* I mean, if you happened to be in high school at that time, but it's among the most popular melodies for those words, being very danceable. Of course, as always, there are other melodies for the same words moving to supplant it as the newest and coolest.
And here's a considerably newer Chanukah song: "Light One Candle," by Peter Yarrow, sung by Peter, Paul, and Mary:
Video from the PBS Holiday Concert, posted by Loren Newsom
(The top comment on this particular YouTube is by the producer and director of the PBS show, very cool.)
Peter, Paul, and Mary debuted "Light One Candle" during their 1982 Holiday Concert at Carnegie Hall. If you keep count, you will see that the lyrics "light one candle" repeat exactly eight times--and if you watch carefully, you can see that the children light one candle each time that phrase is repeated, making them a human menorah.
Being a Chanukah song is enough, of course, but we can do a little better. The songwriter, Peter Yarrow, is Jewish, the son of Ukrainian Jewish immigrants. As part of the folk trio Peter, Paul, and Mary, Yarrow wrote or co-wrote some of the group's best known songs (including "Puff, the Magic Dragon" and "Day is Done"); during the trio's 48 years together they picked up five Grammys (plus another 10 Grammy nominations) and 2 Emmy nominations (for Peter, Paul and Mommy, Too and for Lifelines LIVE).
The group was known for its activism in addition to its music--they sang at the 1969 March on Washington and were involved in the anti-Vietnam protests--and they have continued that activism throughout their lives and careers. Yarrow himself was prominent in the campaign to free Soviet Jews in the 1980s, and performed with his son and daughter during the Occupy Wall Street protests. As evidenced by the lyrics of "Light One Candle," Yarrow's Jewish roots serve as a wellspring for his political beliefs.
So Happy Chanukah! Go light a candle, even--or especially--figuratively.
Well. The lyrics for "Al Hanisim" are very traditional, anyway--as I said above, the words for this song are those of the introductory phrases of paragraphs inserted into daily prayers on Chanukah and Purim, and it is an expression of thanksgiving for the salvations those two Rabbinic holidays celebrate:
And (we thank You) for the miracles, and for the salvation, and for the mighty deeds, and for the victories, and for the battles which You performed for our forefathers in those days, at this time.
(Note that miracles and salvation come before victories and battles--in order of importance.)
As such, we date it back to the Gaonic period, possibly the 8th or 9th century.
The melody, by Dov Frimer, dates back only to 1974, when it debuted at the Chassidic Song Festival, which makes it traditional for those of us... *ahem* I mean, if you happened to be in high school at that time, but it's among the most popular melodies for those words, being very danceable. Of course, as always, there are other melodies for the same words moving to supplant it as the newest and coolest.
And here's a considerably newer Chanukah song: "Light One Candle," by Peter Yarrow, sung by Peter, Paul, and Mary:
(The top comment on this particular YouTube is by the producer and director of the PBS show, very cool.)
Peter, Paul, and Mary debuted "Light One Candle" during their 1982 Holiday Concert at Carnegie Hall. If you keep count, you will see that the lyrics "light one candle" repeat exactly eight times--and if you watch carefully, you can see that the children light one candle each time that phrase is repeated, making them a human menorah.
Being a Chanukah song is enough, of course, but we can do a little better. The songwriter, Peter Yarrow, is Jewish, the son of Ukrainian Jewish immigrants. As part of the folk trio Peter, Paul, and Mary, Yarrow wrote or co-wrote some of the group's best known songs (including "Puff, the Magic Dragon" and "Day is Done"); during the trio's 48 years together they picked up five Grammys (plus another 10 Grammy nominations) and 2 Emmy nominations (for Peter, Paul and Mommy, Too and for Lifelines LIVE).
The group was known for its activism in addition to its music--they sang at the 1969 March on Washington and were involved in the anti-Vietnam protests--and they have continued that activism throughout their lives and careers. Yarrow himself was prominent in the campaign to free Soviet Jews in the 1980s, and performed with his son and daughter during the Occupy Wall Street protests. As evidenced by the lyrics of "Light One Candle," Yarrow's Jewish roots serve as a wellspring for his political beliefs.
So Happy Chanukah! Go light a candle, even--or especially--figuratively.
Peter Paul and Mary were a part of our home and seemed to have influenced us in a significant way. This beautiful song is a lovely and a moving addition, thank you.
ReplyDeleteThank you for introducing me to them! :)
Delete