The Short Story
The Hebrew poem “Eli, Eli” was written by Hannah Szenes in 1942, and was set to music by David Zehavi in 1945. I sang it with the Brattleboro Music Center Children’s Choir in 1991, and arranged it for piano/SATB in 2010.
The Longer Story
When I was a local public school music teacher in the 1980’s it struck me that there were always one or two or three children in each class who stood out with their beautiful in-tune singing. How wonderful, I thought, if I could gather them all into one singing group. Also, I was interested in creating an enriching singing experience for Mary Alice’s and my two young boys Sam and Stefan.
So, in 1987, I started the Brattleboro Music Center (BMC) Children’s Choir for ages 8 – 12. I made personal phone calls to families of children who loved to sing, and made a particular effort to make sure the group included a good balance of boys and girls. Our son Sam was only six then, a beautiful singer, and I snuck him in. Stefan, age three, joined a few years later.
Jackie Gould was the mother of one of my young BMC Children’s Choir singers, Sarah. Jackie was an active member and singing leader in our Brattleboro Area Jewish Community. Jackie and I developed a tradition where every September she called me up and I would answer and say “Hi Jackie,” and then hang up. Then Jackie called again, I would not answer, and she sang a song from the Jewish tradition into my answering machine that I would then teach to my Children’s Choir. Over the years Jackie sang into my answering machine, and I taught the Children’s Choir singers:
“Tzena“,
“Oh Chanuka“,
“Tumbalalaika“,
“Who Can Retell” (originally Mi Y’malel) and Peter Yarrow’s
by Hannah Szenes
Hachol ve’hayam,
Rish rush shel hamayim
Berak hasha mayim
Tifilat haadam
Hachol ve’hayam
Rish rush shel hamayin
Berak hasha mayim
Tifilat haadam.
I pray that these things never end;
The sand and the sea,
The rush of the waters,
The crash of the heavens,
The prayer of the earth
The sand and the sea,
The rush of the waters,
The crash of the heavens,
The prayer of the earth.