Al Zeh haya- who composed it?

amother

Sat, Jul 29 2023, 10:03 pm

I'm referring to the famous song AL zeh haya daveh libeinu...lama lanetzach tishkacheinu...
Who composed it or which album is it on first?
Avrumy Flam sings it here, but I believe it's not his song: https://youtu.be/TU1h_sFz2zI

Elfrida

Sat, Jul 29 2023, 10:05 pm

I've never heard of it as a song, but the phrases you quoted come up multiple times in kinnot.

b.chadash

Sat, Jul 29 2023, 10:13 pm

Elfrida wrote:

I've never heard of it as a song, but the phrases you quoted come up multiple times in kinnot.

They are from Eicha

amother

Wandflower

Sat, Jul 29 2023, 11:13 pm

The words are a direct quote from Eichah chapter 5.
And unless Mr. Flam was a child prodigy composer or is at least in his 70s , he didn't compose the music, either. I learned it in 1971, and it wasn't brand new then.

TBH I'm amazed it's out there at all. I never heard it performed anywhere. A friend of mine learned it from her piano teacher or something and she taught it to me, but nobody else I knew even heard of it.

b.chadash

Mon, Jul 31 2023, 10:57 pm

The tune was composed by Rabbi Eliyahu Klang and was originally from the Pirchei Boys choir.

etky

Tue, Aug 01 2023, 2:04 am

Thanks for this.
I've always found this tune so haunting.
It lingers in my head every year long after Tisha B'Av.
And on this theme (foxes in Har Habayit...) here's something optimistic:
https://www.jpost.com/israel-n.....52819

amother

Daphne

Tue, Aug 01 2023, 7:12 am

I thought maybe it was penina klaver back in the 80’s/90’s.

nelliesmellie

Tue, Aug 01 2023, 7:13 am

London school of Jewish song sings it best. I wonder if yigal calek composed it

amother

Caramel

Tue, Aug 01 2023, 7:41 am

nelliesmellie wrote:

London school of Jewish song sings it best. I wonder if yigal calek composed it

It was Rabbi Eliyahu Klang as someone mentioned upthread, and first on a Pirchei record.

etky

Tue, Aug 01 2023, 8:11 am

[quote="amother Wandflower"]The words are a direct quote from Eichah chapter 5.
And unless Mr. Flam was a child prodigy composer or is at least in his 70s , he didn't compose the music, either. I learned it in 1971, and it wasn't brand new then.

TBH I'm amazed it's out there at all. I never heard it performed anywhere. A friend of mine learned it from her piano teacher or something and she taught it to me, but nobody else I knew even heard of it.[/quote]

We learned it in school - NYC in the 1970's.
Our music teacher loved Pirchei and taught us all the songs that were current then.