William Penn Life, 2017 (52. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2017-12-01 / 12. szám
Tibor s Take Landolfi violin made in Milan in 1772. 8. Szabad-E Bejönni Ide Bethlehemniel?, by folk group Kaláka. This album features short selections of obscure songs from the remote areas of Hungary, much in the style of Kodály and Bartók. Simple, handmade instruments are featured. 9. Áldom Szent Nevedet, by Maczko Maria. This was given to me as a gift by my cousin Olgi when I visited Csót, Hungary, in 2014. Simply a beautiful recording done by a native citizen of the village. 10. András Cseh II Christmas Cimbalom. A few years back, my brother made a CD featuring all Hungarian Christmas songs. Unfortunately, he made only a limited number for relatives overseas and a few friends here in the States. He performed the selections on his 1925 Bohak and 1897 Sternberg cimbaloms. I keep trying to convince him to make more recordings. M A My Favorite Hungarian Christmas Songs 1. "Mennyből Az Angyal" ("Angels from Heaven"). It seems that every Magyar recording of Christmas music features a rendition of this most familiar of all Hungarian yuletide songs. When I was in elementary school, one of my teachers had a party with an international theme. Each of her students was to bring in a treat and a recorded song of their ancestry. I wanted to bring a recording with singing in English, but my family only had versions in Hungarian. While shopping, my parents stumbled upon a cassette tape entitled Christmas Around The World. It featured 10 songs sung by a group of children and discovered that one of the selections was "Mennyből Az Angyal" sung in English. In keeping with the spirit of the season and title of the song, my mother made Hungarian Angel Wing pastries. This version of the song has always been my favorite, one I play on my family's radio program. 2. “Ave Maria," by Jean Szaiber Cseh. Though not necessarily a Christmas song, my grandmother's rendition of this song always reminds me of Christmastime. My grandmother passed when I was a little less than four years of age. One of my earliest memories is the both lR KAR \( Sí ) \ V of us singing together as she played the piano. One day, she sung for me "Ave Maria." To my good fortune, my nagyapa (grandfather) recorded on tape my grandmother singing this song while playing the organ at St. Stephen of Hungary Church in Youngstown. I play her interpretation of the Schubert masterpiece every Karácsony. It will always be close to my heart. Franz Liszt is credited with transposing the poem for piano and actually made three versions to the original song. 3. "Csak Karácsony," by the Animal Cannibals (of Budapest). A fast-paced song that starts with the sounds of crunching snow as someone is walking. A bit weird but festive, it is contemporary and reminds me of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. This was sent to me via mail two years ago from cousins Judit and Géza. 4. " Csordapásztorok/A Kis Jézus," featuring the Budapest Children's Choir. This is a lively medley of songs. I recall learning to play "Little Jesus" on the saxophone while in grade school. 5. "Fel Nagy Örömre" from the album Magyar Karácsony, featuring Miklós Bencze on vocals and Rev. Aladar Egyed on the church organ. As youngsters, my siblings and I considered this a bit of a novelty. Bencze was a famous opera performer in Hungary with a deep bass voice that could rattle plates on a shelf. He was one of many accomplished artists who came to America after 1956, but we thought it comical when we were kids. Rev. Egyed was not only a respected organist but a composer as well. He led the West Side Hungarian Lutheran Church in Cleveland. This album was another prime example of what B&F Records produced in the way of unusual and eclectic Hungarian-styled recordings. Every Hungarian Christmas song is beautiful and each interpretation is equally breathtaking. I hope you can listen to some Christmas songs Hungarian-style this season either via your own recordings or by tuning in to a local Hungarian radio program. Boldog Karácsonyt! Tibor II *Mary V. and her daughter are longtime members ofWPA. All 10 of Mary's grandchildren are WPA members, and each has benefited from the WPA Scholarship program. My hat goes off to the entire family and to the men and women who work so diligently at keeping the scholarship spirit alive and well. Please, remember to support the William Penn Fraternal Association Scholarship Foundation. Tibor Check, Jr., is a member of Branch 28 and an attorney working in Washington, D.C. Let's hear your take If you have any questions or comments about me or my column, please email me at: silverkingl937@ gmail.com, or drop me a letter in care of the William Penn Association, 709 Brighton Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15233. WILLIAM PENN LIFE 0 December 2017 ° 7
