PARTITIONS GRATUITES :
- Common Klezmer

Brass Band - Grade 3

SKU: BT.AMP-396-030

Arranged by Philip Sparke. Anglo Music Midway Series. Original Light Music. Set (Score & Parts). Composed 2013. Anglo Music Press #AMP 396-030. Published by Anglo Music Press (BT.AMP-396-030).

9x12 inches. English-German-French-Dut ch.

Hava Nagila (the title means ‘let us rejoice’) is perhaps the best known example of a style of Jewish music called ‘klezmer’. Klezmer music originated in the ‘shtetl’ (villages) and the ghettos of Eastern Europe, where itinerant Jewish troubadours, known as ‘klezmorim’, had performed at celebrations, particularly weddings, since the early Middle Ages.‘Klezmer� �� is a Yiddish term combining the Hebrew words ‘kley’ (instrument) and ‘zemer’ (song) and the roots of the style are found in secular melodies, popular dances, Jewish ‘hazanut’ (cantorial music) and also the ‘nigunim’, the wordless melodies intoned by the ‘Hasidim’ (orthodox Jews).Since the 16th century, lyrics hadbeen added to klezmer music, due to the ‘badkhn’ (the master of ceremony at weddings), to the ‘Purimshpil’ (the play of Esther at Purim) and to traditions of the Yiddish theatre, but the term gradually became synonymous with instrumental music, particularly featuring the violin and clarinet. The melody of Hava Nagila was adapted from a folk dance from the Romanian district of Bucovina. The commonly used text is taken from Psalm 118 of the Hebrew bible.

Hava Nagila (de titel betekent ‘laat ons gelukkig zijn’) is misschien wel het bekendste voorbeeld van klezmer, een Joodse muziekstijl.De klezmermuziek komt van oorsprong uit de sjtetls (dorpen) en de getto’s van Oost-Europa, waar rondtrekkende Joodse troubadours, bekend als klezmorim, al sinds de middeleeuwen hadden opgetreden bij feestelijkheden, en dan met name bruiloften.Klezmer is een Jiddische term waarin de Hebreeuwse woorden kley (instrument) en zemer (lied) zijn samengevoegd. De wortels van de stijl liggen in wereldlijke melodieën, volksdansen, de joods-liturgische hazanut en ook de nigunim, de woordeloze melodieën zoals die worden voorgedragen doorchassidische (orthodoxe) joden.Sinds de 16e eeuw zijn er aan de klezmermuziek ook teksten toegevoegd, dankzij de badchen (de ceremoniemeester bij huwelijken), het poerimspel (het verhaal van Esther tijdens Poerim/het Lotenfeest) en tradities binnen het Jiddische theater, maar de term werd geleidelijk synoniem aan instrumentale muziek met een hoofdrol voor de viool en klarinet.De melodie van Hava Nagila is afkomstig van een volksdans uit de Roemeense regio Boekovina. De meest gebruikte tekst voor het lied kom uit psalm 118 van de Hebreeuwse Bijbel.

Hava Nagila (auf Deutsch ‚Lasst uns glücklich sein’) ist vielleicht das bekannteste Beispiel für den jüdischen Musikstil namens ‚Klezmer’. Klezmermusik hat ihren Ursprung in den Shtetls“ (Städtchen) und den Ghettos Osteuropas, woumherziehende jüdische Troubadours, die man ‚Klezmorim’ nannte, schon seit dem frühen Mittelalter auf Feiern, vor allem Hochzeiten, zu spielen pflegten. Klezmer ist ein jiddischer Begriff, der sich aus den hebräischen Wörtern ‚kley’(Instr ument) und ‚zemer’ (Lied) zusammensetzt. Die Wurzeln des Musikstils liegen in weltlichen Melodien, populären Tänzen, jüdischem ‚Chasanut’ (Kantorengesang) und auch ‚Niggunim’, Melodien ohne Text, vorgetragen von den‚Chassidimâ€� �� (orthodoxen Juden). Seit dem 16. Jahrhundert wurden die Klezmermelodien mit Texten versehen, was auf die ‚Badchan’ (Zeremonienmeister bei Hochzeiten), auf das ‚Purimshpil’ (Das Esther-Spiel zum Purimfest) und aufTraditionen des jiddischen Theaters zurückgeht. Der Begriff Klezmer wurde jedoch mit der Zeit gleichbedeutend mit Instrumentalmusik, im Besonderen mit den Instrumenten Violine und Klarinette. Die Melodie von Hava Nagila ist eine Adaption einesVolkstanzes aus der rumänischen Bukowina. Der üblicherweise verwendete Text stammt aus Psalm 118 der hebräischen Bibel.

Hava Nagila (qui signifie Réjouissons-nous) est sans aucun doute la chanson traditionnelle hébra que de style klezmer la plus connue de toutes.La musique klezmer est née dans les shtetl (villages) et les ghettos d’Europe de l’Est, où les baladins juifs ambulants, appelés klezmorim, célébraient toutes sortes de cérémonies, en particulier les mariages, et ce depuis le début du Moyen- ge.Le terme yiddish klezmer est la combinaison de deux mots : klei, que l’on peut traduire par instrument et zemer qui veut dire chanson. Cette tradition musicale tire ses origines dans les mélodies profanes, les danses populaires, la musique juive hazanout (musique vocale) ainsi que les nigunim,les mélodies sans paroles entonnées par les hassidim (juifs orthodoxes).Au cours du XVIe siècle, les paroles ont été ajoutées la musique klezmer, afin d’illustrer le rôle du badkhn (le maître de cérémonie lors des mariages), le pourim-shpil (monologue où est paraphrasé le livre d’Esther) ou encore les traditions liées au thé tre yiddish, mais le terme est progressivement devenu synonyme de musique instrumentale, en particulier dans une interprétation au violon et la clarinette.La mélodie Hava Nagila a été adaptée partir d’une danse folklorique de la région roumaine de Bucovine. Le texte, couramment utilisé, est extrait du Psaume 118 de la bible hébra que.

Brass Band - Grade 3

SKU: BT.AMP-396-130

Arranged by Philip Sparke. Anglo Music Midway Series. Original Light Music. Score Only. Composed 2013. 24 pages. Anglo Music Press #AMP 396-130. Published by Anglo Music Press (BT.AMP-396-130).

9x12 inches. English-German-French-Dut ch.

Hava Nagila (the title means ‘let us rejoice’) is perhaps the best known example of a style of Jewish music called ‘klezmer’. Klezmer music originated in the ‘shtetl’ (villages) and the ghettos of Eastern Europe, where itinerant Jewish troubadours, known as ‘klezmorim’, had performed at celebrations, particularly weddings, since the early Middle Ages.‘Klezmer� �� is a Yiddish term combining the Hebrew words ‘kley’ (instrument) and ‘zemer’ (song) and the roots of the style are found in secular melodies, popular dances, Jewish ‘hazanut’ (cantorial music) and also the ‘nigunim’, the wordless melodies intoned by the ‘Hasidim’ (orthodox Jews).Since the 16th century, lyrics hadbeen added to klezmer music, due to the ‘badkhn’ (the master of ceremony at weddings), to the ‘Purimshpil’ (the play of Esther at Purim) and to traditions of the Yiddish theatre, but the term gradually became synonymous with instrumental music, particularly featuring the violin and clarinet. The melody of Hava Nagila was adapted from a folk dance from the Romanian district of Bucovina. The commonly used text is taken from Psalm 118 of the Hebrew bible.

Hava Nagila (de titel betekent ‘laat ons gelukkig zijn’) is misschien wel het bekendste voorbeeld van klezmer, een Joodse muziekstijl.De klezmermuziek komt van oorsprong uit de sjtetls (dorpen) en de getto’s van Oost-Europa, waar rondtrekkende Joodse troubadours, bekend als klezmorim, al sinds de middeleeuwen hadden opgetreden bij feestelijkheden, en dan met name bruiloften.Klezmer is een Jiddische term waarin de Hebreeuwse woorden kley (instrument) en zemer (lied) zijn samengevoegd. De wortels van de stijl liggen in wereldlijke melodieën, volksdansen, de joods-liturgische hazanut en ook de nigunim, de woordeloze melodieën zoals die worden voorgedragen doorchassidische (orthodoxe) joden.Sinds de 16e eeuw zijn er aan de klezmermuziek ook teksten toegevoegd, dankzij de badchen (de ceremoniemeester bij huwelijken), het poerimspel (het verhaal van Esther tijdens Poerim/het Lotenfeest) en tradities binnen het Jiddische theater, maar de term werd geleidelijk synoniem aan instrumentale muziek met een hoofdrol voor de viool en klarinet.De melodie van Hava Nagila is afkomstig van een volksdans uit de Roemeense regio Boekovina. De meest gebruikte tekst voor het lied kom uit psalm 118 van de Hebreeuwse Bijbel.

Hava Nagila (auf Deutsch ‚Lasst uns glücklich sein’) ist vielleicht das bekannteste Beispiel für den jüdischen Musikstil namens ‚Klezmer’. Klezmermusik hat ihren Ursprung in den Shtetls“ (Städtchen) und den Ghettos Osteuropas, woumherziehende jüdische Troubadours, die man ‚Klezmorim’ nannte, schon seit dem frühen Mittelalter auf Feiern, vor allem Hochzeiten, zu spielen pflegten. Klezmer ist ein jiddischer Begriff, der sich aus den hebräischen Wörtern ‚kley’(Instr ument) und ‚zemer’ (Lied) zusammensetzt. Die Wurzeln des Musikstils liegen in weltlichen Melodien, populären Tänzen, jüdischem ‚Chasanut’ (Kantorengesang) und auch ‚Niggunim’, Melodien ohne Text, vorgetragen von den‚Chassidimâ€� �� (orthodoxen Juden). Seit dem 16. Jahrhundert wurden die Klezmermelodien mit Texten versehen, was auf die ‚Badchan’ (Zeremonienmeister bei Hochzeiten), auf das ‚Purimshpil’ (Das Esther-Spiel zum Purimfest) und aufTraditionen des jiddischen Theaters zurückgeht. Der Begriff Klezmer wurde jedoch mit der Zeit gleichbedeutend mit Instrumentalmusik, im Besonderen mit den Instrumenten Violine und Klarinette. Die Melodie von Hava Nagila ist eine Adaption einesVolkstanzes aus der rumänischen Bukowina. Der üblicherweise verwendete Text stammt aus Psalm 118 der hebräischen Bibel.

Hava Nagila (qui signifie Réjouissons-nous) est sans aucun doute la chanson traditionnelle hébra que de style klezmer la plus connue de toutes.La musique klezmer est née dans les shtetl (villages) et les ghettos d’Europe de l’Est, où les baladins juifs ambulants, appelés klezmorim, célébraient toutes sortes de cérémonies, en particulier les mariages, et ce depuis le début du Moyen- ge.Le terme yiddish klezmer est la combinaison de deux mots : klei, que l’on peut traduire par instrument et zemer qui veut dire chanson. Cette tradition musicale tire ses origines dans les mélodies profanes, les danses populaires, la musique juive hazanout (musique vocale) ainsi que les nigunim,les mélodies sans paroles entonnées par les hassidim (juifs orthodoxes).Au cours du XVIe siècle, les paroles ont été ajoutées la musique klezmer, afin d’illustrer le rôle du badkhn (le maître de cérémonie lors des mariages), le pourim-shpil (monologue où est paraphrasé le livre d’Esther) ou encore les traditions liées au thé tre yiddish, mais le terme est progressivement devenu synonyme de musique instrumentale, en particulier dans une interprétation au violon et la clarinette.La mélodie Hava Nagila a été adaptée partir d’une danse folklorique de la région roumaine de Bucovine. Le texte, couramment utilisé, est extrait du Psaume 118 de la bible hébra que.

4 Clarinets (3 Clarinets in B-flat & Bass Clarinet in B-flat)

SKU: AP.1-ADV8446

For Clarinet Quartet. Composed by Coen Wolfgram. Quartet; Solo Small Ensembles; Woodwind - Clarinet Quartet. Advance Music. Form: Suite. Folk; Jewish Heritage; World. Score and Part(s). Advance Music #01-ADV8446. Published by Advance Music (AP.1-ADV8446).

UPC: 805095084467. English.

Klezmer is the Yiddish word for musician, and is commonly used to refer to Jewish traditional music. Originating from Eastern Europe, Klezmer music played an important part during Jewish festivals and celebrations, and clearly reveals musical influences from the Balkan and Slavic regions. This Klezmer Suite is arranged by Coen Wolfgram for 4 clarinets (3 clarinets in B-flat & bass clarinet in B-flat).

Grade 3

SKU: CL.012-4628-00

Composed by Webb. Concert Band. Concert Band Series. Audio recording available separately (item CL.WFR395). Score and set of parts. Composed 2018. Duration 4 minutes, 3 seconds. Opus III Wind Orchestra Publications #012-4628-00. Published by Opus III Wind Orchestra Publications (CL.012-4628-00).

An exciting showcase designed to feature your outstanding clarinet players, Klezmer is an excellent introduction into the rich, emotional and energetic styles of the music of Eastern Europe, most commonly the Jewish folk tradition. The lyrical, yet boisterous dances of Russians, Romanian Gypsies and other surrounding cultures included in this masterful work will bring a unique and evocative style piece well-suited for concerts and contests. A sure-fire hit with audiences, and also a great selection for adult community bands. Brilliant!

Grade 3

SKU: CL.012-4628-01

Composed by Webb. Concert Band. Concert Band Series. Audio recording available separately (item CL.WFR395). Extra full score. Composed 2018. Duration 4 minutes, 3 seconds. Opus III Wind Orchestra Publications #012-4628-01. Published by Opus III Wind Orchestra Publications (CL.012-4628-01).

An exciting showcase designed to feature your outstanding clarinet players, Klezmer is an excellent introduction into the rich, emotional and energetic styles of the music of Eastern Europe, most commonly the Jewish folk tradition. The lyrical, yet boisterous dances of Russians, Romanian Gypsies and other surrounding cultures included in this masterful work will bring a unique and evocative style piece well-suited for concerts and contests. A sure-fire hit with audiences, and also a great selection for adult community bands. Brilliant!

Orchestra Bass Clarinet, Bass Trombone, Bassoon 1, Bassoon 2, Cello, Clarinet in Bb 1, Clarinet in Bb 2, Clarinet in Bb 3, Contrabassoon, Double Bass, English Horn, Flute 1, Flute 2, Flute 3, Harp, Horn 1, Horn 3, Horn 4, Oboe 1, Oboe 2, Percussion 1 and more.

SKU: PR.11642143L

Composed by Stacy Garrop. Spiral. Large Score. 68 pages. Duration 20 minutes. Theodore Presser Company #116-42143L. Published by Theodore Presser Company (PR.11642143L).

UPC: 680160693320. 11 x 17 inches.

For most of my life, I never knew where my father’s family came from, beyond a few broad strokes: they had emigrated in the early 1900s from Eastern Europe and altered the family name along the way. This radically changed in the summer of 2021 when my mother and sister came across a folder in our family filing cabinet and made an astounding discovery of documents that revealed when, where, and how my great-grandfather came to America. The information I had been seeking was at home all along, waiting over forty years to be discovered.Berko Gorobzoff, my great-grandfather, left Ekaterinoslav in 1904. At that time, this city was in the southern Russian area of modern-day Ukraine; as his family was Jewish, he and his siblings were attempting to escape the ongoing religious persecution and pogroms instigated by Tzar Nicholas II to root out Jewish people from Russia. Berko’s older brother Jakob had already emigrated to Illinois, and Berko was traveling with Chaje, Jakob’s wife, to join him. Their timing was fortuitous, as the following year saw a series of massive, brutal pogroms in the region. After arriving in Illinois, Berko went on to Omaha, Nebraska, where he married my great-grandmother Anna about eighteen months later. They remained in Omaha for the rest of their lives.There is one more intriguing part to this historical account: I have a great-aunt in Texas who, as it turns out, is the youngest daughter of Berko and Anna. Through a series of phone calls, my great-aunt and I discussed what she could remember: her parents spoke Yiddish at home, her mother didn’t learn to read or write in English so my great-aunt was tasked with writing letters to family members, Berko ran a grocery store followed by a small hotel, and her parents enjoyed playing poker with friends. Above all else, neither of her parents ever spoke a word about their past or how they got to America. This was a common trait among Eastern European Jewish immigrants whose goal was to “blend in” within their new communities and country.To craft Berko’s Journey, I melded the facts I uncovered about Berko with my own research into methods of transportation in the early 1900s. Also, to represent his heritage, I wove two Yiddish songs and one Klezmer tune into the work. In movement 1, Leaving Ekaterinoslav, we hear Berko packing his belongings, saying his goodbyes to family and friends, and walking to the train station. Included in this movement is a snippet of the Yiddish song “The Miller’s Tears” which references how the Jews were driven out of their villages by the Russian army. In movement 2, In Transit, we follow Berko as he boards a train and then a steamship, sails across the Atlantic Ocean, arrives at Ellis Island and anxiously waits in line for immigration, jubilantly steps foot into New York City, and finally boards a train that will take him to Chicago. While he’s on the steamship, we hear a group of fellow steerage musicians play a klezmer tune (“Freylachs in d minor”). In movement 3, At Home in Omaha, we hear Berko court and marry Anna. Their courtship is represented by “Tumbalalaika,” a Yiddish puzzle folksong in which a man asks a woman a series of riddles in order to get better acquainted with each other and to test her intellect.On a final note, I crafted a musical motive to represent Berko throughout the piece. This motive is heard at the beginning of the first movement; its first pitches are B and E, which represent the first two letters of Berko’s name. I scatter this theme throughout the piece as Berko travels towards a new world and life. As the piece concludes, we hear Berko’s theme repeatedly and in close succession, representing the descendants of the Garrop line that came from Berko and Anna.
For most of my life, I never knew where my father’s family came from, beyond a few broad strokes: they had emigrated in the early 1900s from Eastern Europe and altered the family name along the way. This radically changed in the summer of 2021 when my mother and sister came across a folder in our family filing cabinet and made an astounding discovery of documents that revealed when, where, and how my great-grandfather came to America. The information I had been seeking was at home all along, waiting over forty years to be discovered.Berko Gorobzoff, my great-grandfather, left Ekaterinoslav in 1904. At that time, this city was in the southern Russian area of modern-day Ukraine; as his family was Jewish, he and his siblings were attempting to escape the ongoing religious persecution and pogroms instigated by Tzar Nicholas II to root out Jewish people from Russia. Berko’s older brother Jakob had already emigrated to Illinois, and Berko was traveling with Chaje, Jakob’s wife, to join him. Their timing was fortuitous, as the following year saw a series of massive, brutal pogroms in the region. After arriving in Illinois, Berko went on to Omaha, Nebraska, where he married my great-grandmother Anna about eighteen months later. They remained in Omaha for the rest of their lives.There is one more intriguing part to this historical account: I have a great-aunt in Texas who, as it turns out, is the youngest daughter of Berko and Anna. Through a series of phone calls, my great-aunt and I discussed what she could remember: her parents spoke Yiddish at home, her mother didn’t learn to read or write in English so my great-aunt was tasked with writing letters to family members, Berko ran a grocery store followed by a small hotel, and her parents enjoyed playing poker with friends. Above all else, neither of her parents ever spoke a word about their past or how they got to America. This was a common trait among Eastern European Jewish immigrants whose goal was to “blend in” within their new communities and country.To craftxa0Berko’s Journey,xa0I melded the facts I uncovered about Berko with my own research into methods of transportation in the early 1900s. Also, to represent his heritage, I wove two Yiddish songs and one Klezmer tune into the work. In movement 1,xa0Leaving Ekaterinoslav,xa0we hear Berko packing his belongings, saying his goodbyes to family and friends, and walking to the train station. Included in this movement is a snippet of the Yiddish song “The Miller’s Tears” which references how the Jews were driven out of their villages by the Russian army. In movement 2,xa0In Transit,xa0we follow Berko as he boards a train and then a steamship, sails across the Atlantic Ocean, arrives at Ellis Island and anxiously waits in line for immigration, jubilantly steps foot into New York City, and finally boards a train that will take him to Chicago. While he’s on the steamship, we hear a group of fellow steerage musicians play a klezmer tune (“Freylachs in d minor”). In movement 3,xa0At Home in Omaha,xa0we hear Berko court and marry Anna. Their courtship is represented by “Tumbalalaika,” a Yiddish puzzle folksong in which a man asks a woman a series of riddles in order to get better acquainted with each other and to test her intellect.On a final note, I crafted a musical motive to represent Berko throughout the piece. This motive is heard at the beginning of the first movement; its first pitches are B and E, which represent the first two letters of Berko’s name. I scatter this theme throughout the piece as Berko travels towards a new world and life. As the piece concludes, we hear Berko’s theme repeatedly and in close succession, representing the descendants of the Garrop line that came from Berko and Anna.

Orchestra Bass Clarinet, Bass Trombone, Bassoon 1, Bassoon 2, Cello, Clarinet in Bb 1, Clarinet in Bb 2, Clarinet in Bb 3, Contrabassoon, Double Bass, English Horn, Flute 1, Flute 2, Flute 3, Harp, Horn 1, Horn 3, Horn 4, Oboe 1, Oboe 2, Percussion 1 and more.

SKU: PR.11642143S

Composed by Stacy Garrop. Sws. Score. 68 pages. Duration 20 minutes. Theodore Presser Company #116-42143S. Published by Theodore Presser Company (PR.11642143S).

UPC: 680160693313. 11 x 17 inches.

For most of my life, I never knew where my father’s family came from, beyond a few broad strokes: they had emigrated in the early 1900s from Eastern Europe and altered the family name along the way. This radically changed in the summer of 2021 when my mother and sister came across a folder in our family filing cabinet and made an astounding discovery of documents that revealed when, where, and how my great-grandfather came to America. The information I had been seeking was at home all along, waiting over forty years to be discovered.Berko Gorobzoff, my great-grandfather, left Ekaterinoslav in 1904. At that time, this city was in the southern Russian area of modern-day Ukraine; as his family was Jewish, he and his siblings were attempting to escape the ongoing religious persecution and pogroms instigated by Tzar Nicholas II to root out Jewish people from Russia. Berko’s older brother Jakob had already emigrated to Illinois, and Berko was traveling with Chaje, Jakob’s wife, to join him. Their timing was fortuitous, as the following year saw a series of massive, brutal pogroms in the region. After arriving in Illinois, Berko went on to Omaha, Nebraska, where he married my great-grandmother Anna about eighteen months later. They remained in Omaha for the rest of their lives.There is one more intriguing part to this historical account: I have a great-aunt in Texas who, as it turns out, is the youngest daughter of Berko and Anna. Through a series of phone calls, my great-aunt and I discussed what she could remember: her parents spoke Yiddish at home, her mother didn’t learn to read or write in English so my great-aunt was tasked with writing letters to family members, Berko ran a grocery store followed by a small hotel, and her parents enjoyed playing poker with friends. Above all else, neither of her parents ever spoke a word about their past or how they got to America. This was a common trait among Eastern European Jewish immigrants whose goal was to “blend in” within their new communities and country.To craft Berko’s Journey, I melded the facts I uncovered about Berko with my own research into methods of transportation in the early 1900s. Also, to represent his heritage, I wove two Yiddish songs and one Klezmer tune into the work. In movement 1, Leaving Ekaterinoslav, we hear Berko packing his belongings, saying his goodbyes to family and friends, and walking to the train station. Included in this movement is a snippet of the Yiddish song “The Miller’s Tears” which references how the Jews were driven out of their villages by the Russian army. In movement 2, In Transit, we follow Berko as he boards a train and then a steamship, sails across the Atlantic Ocean, arrives at Ellis Island and anxiously waits in line for immigration, jubilantly steps foot into New York City, and finally boards a train that will take him to Chicago. While he’s on the steamship, we hear a group of fellow steerage musicians play a klezmer tune (“Freylachs in d minor”). In movement 3, At Home in Omaha, we hear Berko court and marry Anna. Their courtship is represented by “Tumbalalaika,” a Yiddish puzzle folksong in which a man asks a woman a series of riddles in order to get better acquainted with each other and to test her intellect.On a final note, I crafted a musical motive to represent Berko throughout the piece. This motive is heard at the beginning of the first movement; its first pitches are B and E, which represent the first two letters of Berko’s name. I scatter this theme throughout the piece as Berko travels towards a new world and life. As the piece concludes, we hear Berko’s theme repeatedly and in close succession, representing the descendants of the Garrop line that came from Berko and Anna.
For most of my life, I never knew where my father’s family came from, beyond a few broad strokes: they had emigrated in the early 1900s from Eastern Europe and altered the family name along the way. This radically changed in the summer of 2021 when my mother and sister came across a folder in our family filing cabinet and made an astounding discovery of documents that revealed when, where, and how my great-grandfather came to America. The information I had been seeking was at home all along, waiting over forty years to be discovered.Berko Gorobzoff, my great-grandfather, left Ekaterinoslav in 1904. At that time, this city was in the southern Russian area of modern-day Ukraine; as his family was Jewish, he and his siblings were attempting to escape the ongoing religious persecution and pogroms instigated by Tzar Nicholas II to root out Jewish people from Russia. Berko’s older brother Jakob had already emigrated to Illinois, and Berko was traveling with Chaje, Jakob’s wife, to join him. Their timing was fortuitous, as the following year saw a series of massive, brutal pogroms in the region. After arriving in Illinois, Berko went on to Omaha, Nebraska, where he married my great-grandmother Anna about eighteen months later. They remained in Omaha for the rest of their lives.There is one more intriguing part to this historical account: I have a great-aunt in Texas who, as it turns out, is the youngest daughter of Berko and Anna. Through a series of phone calls, my great-aunt and I discussed what she could remember: her parents spoke Yiddish at home, her mother didn’t learn to read or write in English so my great-aunt was tasked with writing letters to family members, Berko ran a grocery store followed by a small hotel, and her parents enjoyed playing poker with friends. Above all else, neither of her parents ever spoke a word about their past or how they got to America. This was a common trait among Eastern European Jewish immigrants whose goal was to “blend in” within their new communities and country.To craftxa0Berko’s Journey,xa0I melded the facts I uncovered about Berko with my own research into methods of transportation in the early 1900s. Also, to represent his heritage, I wove two Yiddish songs and one Klezmer tune into the work. In movement 1,xa0Leaving Ekaterinoslav,xa0we hear Berko packing his belongings, saying his goodbyes to family and friends, and walking to the train station. Included in this movement is a snippet of the Yiddish song “The Miller’s Tears” which references how the Jews were driven out of their villages by the Russian army. In movement 2,xa0In Transit,xa0we follow Berko as he boards a train and then a steamship, sails across the Atlantic Ocean, arrives at Ellis Island and anxiously waits in line for immigration, jubilantly steps foot into New York City, and finally boards a train that will take him to Chicago. While he’s on the steamship, we hear a group of fellow steerage musicians play a klezmer tune (“Freylachs in d minor”). In movement 3,xa0At Home in Omaha,xa0we hear Berko court and marry Anna. Their courtship is represented by “Tumbalalaika,” a Yiddish puzzle folksong in which a man asks a woman a series of riddles in order to get better acquainted with each other and to test her intellect.On a final note, I crafted a musical motive to represent Berko throughout the piece. This motive is heard at the beginning of the first movement; its first pitches are B and E, which represent the first two letters of Berko’s name. I scatter this theme throughout the piece as Berko travels towards a new world and life. As the piece concludes, we hear Berko’s theme repeatedly and in close succession, representing the descendants of the Garrop line that came from Berko and Anna.

Berklee Guide. Songwriting, Instruction. Softcover Audio Online. 128 pages. Published by Berklee Press