Undzer Nigundl (Our Tune)
Music & lyrics by Nachum Sternheim
Performed by the Robyn Helzner Trio
(In Yiddish)
We have a little melody
That brings pleasure and joy.
That brings pleasure and joy.
When we sing it
It sounds so beautiful
This melody was sung by
Grandma and Grandpa
when they were children,
When they were still
little children.
Oy oy oy
Like this, this is our tune
that sounds so lively,
So joyfully, so nicely,
Sing, children!
Like this, this is our tune
that sounds so lively,
May we all so cheerful be.
HOST:
World Jewish music artist Ms. Robyn Helzner uses her beautiful gifts of singing, storytelling, and musicianship to inspire people around the world. The US-based 『The Washington Post』 music writer Mike Joyce said these favorable words about her:
『Robyn Helzner’s lovely voice radiates warmth and hope, whether she’s singing
in Hebrew or English, drawing from ancient texts or performing contemporary tunes.』
Robyn Helzner (f):
I sing Jewish music, that’s my profession, that’s my love. And so it takes many forms. One, is the concert work that I do, singing in traditional Jewish languages, singing Jewish folk music.
Another piece of it is this cantorial work that I do. When Jews come to pray at the synagogue
or at the temple, they have a spiritual leader or rabbi who is also a teacher who helps
to lead the services. And then there’s also a person called the cantor. And the cantor
is the person who is responsible for leading the music in the service.
The cantor is also known in Hebrew as the 『sheliach tzibbur,』 which, as a messenger
for the congregation, facilitates the prayer, helps people to participate. And because so many of our prayers are songs, there’s just a lot of spirit in the music. And I think people prefer to sing when they pray.