Singing Rounds is Fun -- Learn This Israeli Round, Hinneh Mah Tov
Singing rounds is a fun way for your students to get practice harmonizing. I like to use them along with vocal warmups, at the beginning of class.
This free vocal sheet music, Hinneh Mah Tov, is a vigorous Israeli round sung in Hebrew. (There is disagreement
about the source of this song. Note: this is not the version sung in the movie "Raid on Entebbe.")
Like many rounds, Hinneh Mah Tov has a comfortable range of only an octave. The melodic line contrasts rapid percussive repeated notes in Part 1 with a soaring, legato
curve of melody in Part 2. There is also a quick moment of tritone harmony, emphasizing the Hebrew flavor of this singing round. Very fun.
I have been told that the meaning of the words translates something like, "How pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity," which paraphrases Psalm 133 from the Old
Testament of the Bible.
If you would like to try chords in the background, Cm, Fm, and G7 work well, like this:
Here is a video of a fellow playing Hinneh Mah Tov very slowly, on what appears to be a lyre:
And here is a group starting a medley with this version of Hinneh Mah Tov, then moving into the more well-known melody:
I said this is a vigorous round. Well, the way we sang it at church, and the way I have my students sing it, is fast-paced indeed! However, the only 2 performances of it I have come across on Youtube seem more in the nature of DIRGES. You decide.
Thanks to Professor David Smith of Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, for introducing this lovely song to our church during a recent visit to Alaska.
Comments
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