With Poetry and Justice for All: Three Anniversaries in Song

$40 tickets are available for groups of 10 or more. Call the box office at 212 501 3330.

We’re celebrating three anniversaries! It’s 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. You’ll hear tributes to America you likely haven’t heard before – at least not in Yiddish! – including Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land,” and “America” by Neil Diamond – with both songs in Yiddish and in four-part harmony! It’s also 150 years since the birth of the beloved Yiddish poet Avrom Reisen, known for many songs including the tender “Afn nil” (On the Nile) and “Borekh ate” (Blessed Are You), the moving “May ko mashme lon” (What Does It Teach Us), the powerful “Di Kirkhnglokn” (Church Bells), and the adorable “Yorn dray, shprakhn fir” (Three Years, Four Languages). And it’s 125 years since the birth of the equally beloved (but radically different) Yiddish poet Itzik Manger, best known for the heartrending “Afn veg shteyt a boym” (On the Road Stands a Tree) and “Di Goldene pave” (The Golden Peacock) and the delightful “Yidl mitn fidl” (Yiddle with His Fiddle) – made famous by Molly Picon – and “Di Megile lider,” a modern retelling of the story of the Purim Megillah. And befitting the occasion: A first-ever “Happy Birthday” in Yiddish! Schaechter’s novel musical arrangements include eight world premieres this season. No need to know any Yiddish – our spoken song intros, English supertitles, and comprehensive printed program will keep you in the loop.

THE YIDDISH PHILHARMONIC CHORUS
Binyumen Schaechter, Music Director
Seth Weinstein, Pianist

A freylekhn geboyrn-tog (“Happy Birthday”) – P. HILL / M.J. HILL
A vinterlid – A. REISEN / Folk melody
Afn nil –  A. REISEN / M. GELBART
Afn veg shteyt a boym – I. MANGER / Folk melody
Amerikaner natsyonaler himen ("The Star-Spangled Banner") – F.S. KEY / J.S SMITH / B. LAPIN
Amerike – Z. WEINPER / A. MANN
Amerike di prekhtike (“America the Beautiful”) – K.L. BATES / S. WARD / B. LAPIN
Borekh ate – A. REISEN / S. GOLUB 
Di kirkhnglokn – A. REISEN / Folk melody
Dos land iz dayn land (“This Land Is Your Land”) – W. GUTHRIE / L. GRITZ / D. KAHN / M. ALPERT / J. WALETZKY
Dos lid fun der goldener pave – I. MANGER / D. SELTZER
May ko mashme lon – A. REISEN / Folk melody
Ovntlid – I. MANGER / E. HACKEN
Tsu dayn geboyrn-tog – A. GOLDFADEN
Unter di khurves – I. MANGER / S. BEREZOVSKY
Yidl mitn fidl (“Yiddle with His Fiddle”) – I. MANGER / A. ELLSTEIN
Yorn dray, shprakhn fir – A. REISEN / Folk melody
Ze dos kleydl, tateshi – I. MANGER / H. KON
Zey kumen kin Amerike ("America" from The Jazz Singer) – N. DIAMOND / B. SCHAECHTER
Zimer ba nakht of di dekher - J.C. FARRELL / P. ROONEY / L. GILROD / S. SHAPIRO