Lyr Req: Hasidic song Lechah Dodi

Subject: Hasidic song Lechah Dodi
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 05 May 00 - 02:34 PM

This came from a friend: This from Pocketful of Miracles, May 4, by Joan Borysenko: "The Hasidim, a mystical sect of Jews that began in Europe in the mid-18th Century, celebrated their union with God in song, in dance, and in the ecstatic joy of waiting all week long for the coming of the Divine Feminine -- the Shekhinah -- whom they would welcome as a spiritual love, the Sabbath Queen. During spring and summer, they would go out into the fertile, growing fields of corn on Friday evening and welcome the Sabbath Queen with the love song 'Lechah Dodi', which thrills my soul when I hear or sing it."

Does anyone know where I could hear "Lechah Dodi?"

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hasidic song Lechah Dodi
From: Jacob B
Date: 05 May 00 - 04:09 PM

That's an easy one to answer: go to any shul (synagogue, temple) on Friday night. Lechah Dodi is sung at the end of Kabbalat Shabbat (welcoming the Sabbath), right before the start of Ma'ariv (the evening service).

If you want to hear a Hasidic melody for it, though, you probably want to go to a Hasidic congregation. In fact, it would be interesting to go to several different congregations, to see how many different melodies for it you heard. You see, Lechah Dodi is a lot older than Hasidism, and people have been writing melodies for it for hundreds of years.

That said, I imagine that you would probably like to find a place where you could hear a version of the melody without sitting through a religious service. I don't know what to tell you about that. I may have a recording with a version of Lechah Dodi on it, but if I do, it would be on a small-run record that I bought years ago directly from the performer.

Of course, I'd be glad to sing you as many versions as I can remember the next I see you. Two come to mind immediately, as well as a melody for Yedid Nefesh that I think has sometimes been used for Lechah Dodi, and two non-serious melodies that use the chorus of Lechah Dodi as a lyric.

It's late Friday afternoon. What an appropriate time to be asking about Lechah Dodi!

Jacob

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hasidic song Lechah Dodi
From: Charlie Baum
Date: 05 May 00 - 04:48 PM

Lechah Dodi actually started among the Kabbalists in Tsefat (Safed), [nowadays in Israel] back in the 1500s. I can think of at least four settings off-hand, including one that actually migrates through four different tunes in the course of going through the 9 verses.

--Charlie Baum

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hasidic song Lechah Dodi
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 05 May 00 - 11:47 PM

I was actually planning on doing some Yiddish songs this Sunday on the HearMe song circle. Animaterra, I'll be happy to do my favorite L'chah Dodi tune if you're there, and perhaps Jacob and Charlie could join in. It's always been one of the high points of the service for me.

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hasidic song Lechah Dodi
From: Sorcha
Date: 06 May 00 - 01:09 AM

Are you guys Cantors? And what are the real possibilities of hearing an Hassidic religious tune in a secular setting? (know some about Hassidim)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hasidic song Lechah Dodi
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 06 May 00 - 08:06 AM

Thanks, friends. I don't know if I'll be able to get to HearMe, so if I don't you may be getting personal messages from me. Looks like my local rabbi might be able to help as well!