A chance discovery in the ASU Music Library spurred the creation of Yiddish Choruses. There, sitting on the recent acquisitions shelf, the title boldly emblazoned in Hebrew on the spine was an anthology of Yiddish folksongs published in Glasnost-era Russia. I recognized many of the tunes, songs I had heard from family or friends or simply in passing. I wanted to set my favorites for chorus.
Each movement is dedicated to a family member. Bulba is a song my mother remembers from her childhood. Shlof Meyn Kind is a lullaby for my daughter. My brother-in-law loves to sing Ma noymar uma nedaber during Passover. I had used the melody of Zackele as the theme to a set of piano variations my freshman-year of college. This setting is dedicated to the memory of my Bubby. Volt Ikh is a gift to my wife. The movements may be sung singly or in any combination.
