Lyr Req: Hörst Du die Glocken von Stella Maria

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ...stella Maria . So lovely!
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 14 Jun 10 - 01:21 AM

According to this article:
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Prix_der_Volksmusik_1989
HÖRST DU DIE GLOCKEN VON STELLA MARIA, sung by Edith Prock, was one of the competing songs in the contest called the Grand Prix der Volksmusik in 1989. Incidentally it identifies the songwriters: George Martin Lange (words) and Herlinde Grobe & Ady Zehnpfennig (music).

According to this article:
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bianca_%28S%C3%A4ngerin%29
Herlinde Grobe is the real name of a singer/songwriter who performs as "Bianca."

She is listed in the "Schlager" category.

"Stella Maria Maris" is a phrase I find in lots of places; it is even reported as being inscribed on certain old church bells in England.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ...stella Maria . So lovely!
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 09 Jun 10 - 10:12 AM

Leadfingers, I will keep you in mind. You are aware, I hope, that my husband plays the bodhran?

Cats, thanks for the info. Apparently Mary, star and sea have all become associated. Possibly because mariners use the stars to guide by.

Did you see the video with Edith Prock? The mountains in it are simply incredible! It's hard to believe that they are part of the earth.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ...stella Maria . So lovely!
From: Cats
Date: 09 Jun 10 - 04:30 AM

If any of you are ever on Plymouth Hoe there is a small statue to Stella Maria in a niche on the wall. Only about 2 feet high and very unassuming but there all the same looking out over the sea.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ...stella Maria . So lovely!
From: Joe Offer
Date: 08 Jun 10 - 11:18 PM

Hey, but the museums in London were wonderful, too. Micca made sure I got both museums and music.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ...stella Maria . So lovely!
From: Leadfingers
Date: 08 Jun 10 - 09:10 PM

May I suggest leenia , that IF you wander over to London I may just manage to keep you out of the museums SOME of the time ?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ...stella Maria . So lovely!
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 08 Jun 10 - 08:41 PM

So how come, everywhere I go, I find myself in the art museum again?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ...stella Maria . So lovely!
From: Joe Offer
Date: 08 Jun 10 - 07:01 PM

Well, Leeneia, I don't think such festivities are very secret - but then, I haven't been in Germany since 1974. When we lived in Berlin, there was a festival almost every weekend when the weather was good (May 1-Sept 30), and every festival had a Festzelt [Bierzelt (beer tent)] with beer and community singing.
Oktoberfest, mind you, is in late September - the weather isn't good enough in October.
Most of that community singing is old sentimental songs and "drinking songs," - not strictly traditional, but old and fun.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ...stella Maria . So lovely!
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 08 Jun 10 - 06:47 PM

'Maria' is 'Mary' in a lot of languages, including German. I suspect the song comes from Switzerland, where people are familiar with Italian, but I'd like to hear more about that.

Thanks for the link to the Geschwister Hoffmann (Hoffmann Sisters) Joe. I've never heard the term Schlagermusik, but the Hoffmanns are a good example of a kind of show that's common on YouTube.

YouTube makes it obvious that there are secret installations all over the German-speaking nations where people are singing, playing sentimental songs, swaying in their seats and having a good time.

But if you or I are going over and we look in the guidebooks, these secret showplaces are never mentioned. The indexes will be like this:

music - see Jazz
folk music - see under Heavy Metal
traditional music - see Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
yodeling - you must mean 'yoghurt'. see under Food and Drink

And have you noticed that the YouTube videos never reveal WHERE they were made? That's because it's a state secret.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ...stella Maria . So lovely!
From: Joe Offer
Date: 08 Jun 10 - 06:11 PM

I get all the romance languages confused. "Stella Maris" is Latin for "Our Lady, Star of the Sea" but I've seen it in various romance languages as "Stella Mare," "Stella Maris," "Stella di Mare," and probably a couple other variations. The name is often used for seaside churches, particularly in fishing towns because Mary was seen as a guiding star for fishermen.

Es war einmal... is a standard introduction for fairy tales, as we use "once upon a time" - but "once upon a time" is only one of many ways the phrase can be translated.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ...stella Maria . So lovely!
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 08 Jun 10 - 05:46 PM

I've decided that 'sagen es war einmal' is German for 'and it came to pass ...'

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ...stella Maria . So lovely!
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 08 Jun 10 - 03:05 PM

Stella Mare, as Joe says, or Stella Maris would seem to be correct- unless Stella Maria is dialectical. The 'Maria' is not needed for rhyme, so ?

"Sägen es war einmal" is an idiom; Joe has about as good a translation as possible.
My dictionaries have many 'sägen....' idioms, a column in Cassell and as many in Langenscheit and there are probably many more.

Very interesting tune- I couldn't come up with a composer that I was sure of.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ...stella Maria . So lovely!
From: Joe Offer
Date: 08 Jun 10 - 02:32 PM

Yeah, I caught the "Beiten" and fixed it while you were typing. My fingers aren't even typing English very well today. Too much manual labor has battered up my hands (and given me my second case of poison oak for the year).

"Stella Maria" is an interesting term - both words could be Italian, but the usual church name would be "Stella Mare," referring to "Mary, Star of the Sea" - one of the many appellations of the Blessed Virgin.

---

And this brings up another question: I hear the term "Slagermusik," which would translate directly as "hit music" - but it seems to me that the "hits" in this category are songs that would appeal most to people well over the age of 40.
In the US, we're familiar with the music of Lawrence Welk and Abba, so seem to fit into this category.

So, what's the definition of "Schlagermusik"? Who are the best-known performers in this category? Seems to me that Geschwister Hofmann are quite prolific in this category.

By the way, there seems to be an element of folk music in this style. They sometimes take legitimate folk songs and package them in this "sound."

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ...stella Maria . So lovely!
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 08 Jun 10 - 02:19 PM

Thanks, Joe. slight correction - that's 'zum Beten' (to prayer) not Beiten.

And you're right, it sounds like 'und sagen es war einmal,' but that doesn't make any sense to me.

I'm curious about the phrase 'Stella Maria.' One word is Italian, one is German.

Did you see the video with the children singing? What a beautiful choir!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ...stella Maria . So lovely!
From: Joe Offer
Date: 08 Jun 10 - 02:11 PM

Sie laden zum Beiten dich ein.

they call you/invite you to prayer

---

und sagen es war einmal

And say it was once upon a time

---

So, this is the whole shebang, as I hear it:

HÖRST DU DIE GLOCKEN VON STELLA MARIA?

Hörst du die Glocken von Stella Maria?
Sie klingen so hell und so rein.
Hörst du die Glocken von Stella Maria?
Sie laden zum Beten dich ein.
Weit klingen sie über das Tal
Und sagen es war einmal
"Hörst du die Glocken?"

Translation:
Do you hear the bells of Stella Maria (Mary the Star)?
They ring so bright and pure.
Do you hear the bells of Stella Maria?
They call you in to prayer
Far they ring over the valley and say
It was once upon a time
Do you hear the bells?

Subject: Lyr Req: ...stella Maria . So lovely!
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 08 Jun 10 - 11:44 AM

I was ambling through YouTube last night, looking for yodeling, when I came across this beautiful, peaceful song. It's obviously been a hit. It's also very short. I'm missing a few words.

HOERST DU DIE GLOCKEN VON STELLA MARIA?

Hoerst due die Glocken von Stella Maria?
Sie klingen so hell und so rein.
Hoerst due die Glocken von Stella Maria?
Sie ..... dich ein.
Weit klingen sie ueber das Tal
und sagen ......... "Hoerst due die Glocken?"

Translation:
Do you hear the bells of Stella Maria?
They ring so bright and pure.
Do you hear the bells of Stella Maria?
They .........
Far they ring over the valley and say
Do you hear the bells?

So the words are very simple. The interest lies in the soaring melody.

You can hear a very clear version if you go to YouTube and search for the version by Edith Prock. But the one that brought tears to my eyes was the Slovak version with the children singing.

Oops, I lost the link. Look for the picture with the children in their red blouses.