Mah Yedidut

Kel Adon

קל אדון

A piyut sung on Shabbat during the blessing of Yotzer Or before Shema.

Modzitz

Composed by the Modzitzer Rebbe Shaul Yedidya Taub (1887-1948), according to this score from NLI. Unfortunately it's not in Velvel Pasternak's Melodies of Modzitz book so it's hard to confirm. Not to be confused with this Modzitz march. If I had to claim that one melody is the most standard one used, it's this one.

Michoel Streicher Version

Composed by Rabbi Benny Hershkowitz, 1991

It's really for Ein Aroch but carries well right into Kel Adon. My favourite melody to use. I first learned it from the Maccabeats first and I suspect many others did too.

  

Carlebach

Shlomo Carlebach, 1973?. The niggun is well known but not particularly as a melody for Kel Adon. Sometimes known as his Aleph-Beis song.

 

Shiru LaMelech

Yeedle, 1998. Not written for Kel Adon but I find it's often used the week of Birkat HaChodesh.

Ben Zion Shenker

Recorded 1972.

I don't know this one. But it's always worth bringing Ben Zion Shenker's compositions back into the mainstream. I tried to use his Nachamu for Shacharis Kedusha on Shabbos Nachamu and forgot the tune halfway through but I don't regret it.

http://djsa.dartmouth.edu/tracks/39608

More ideas by Yosef Rappaport here

Shir HaMa'alot

שיר המעלות

Psalm 126 is said before Birkat HaMazon when there's no tachanun. Usually sung on Shabbat. I think I've compiled all the well known American Ashkenazi melodies here.

Rosenblatt (but actually Minkowsky)

Composed by Cantor Pinchas Minkowsky (1859-1924), and famously performed by Cantor Yossele Rosenblatt

A candidate for the State of Israel's national anthem that eventually lost to HaTikva. Also attached, excerpts from Chalom Imi, filmed with Rosenblatt in Israel in 1933 shortly before his death.

 

Minkowsky 2

Well known melody. Surprisingly also composed by Cantor Pinchas Minkowsky just like the one above. This is one of those melodies that's so ubiquitous, almost nobody has recorded a nice version of it.

Modzitz (Kaddish)

Rabbi Shaul Yedidya Elazar Taub (Imrei Eish), 1955

Composed by the Modzitzer Rebbe as Kaddish for Yamim Noraim, but it's better known for Shir HaMa'alos.

An orchestra really transforms the song.

Carlebach (Shomrim Hafked)

Shlomo Carlebach, 1974. Well known melody for Shir HaMa'alot but few people know it's a Carlebach tune.

This song was first sung by Reb Shlomo in a wedding that he performed on September 9, 1974 for Avraham Shifrin and Eleonora Poltinnikiova on the Tel Aviv beach at midnight. Here is the full explanation with the words of the song as published in my book on Reb Shlomo in Hebrew: 

השיר שׁוֹמְרִים הַפְקֵד לְעִירְךָ כָּל הַיּוֹם וְכָל הַלַּיְלָה (מתוך הפיוט בהגדה של פסח וַיְהִי בַּחֲצִי הַלַּיְלָה) חובר על-ידי ר' שלמה ב-9 בספטמבר 1974 בחוף תל אביב בזמן שערך את החתונה של אברהם ואלינורה שיפרין. המלים לקוחות מהבית האחרון בפיוט וַיְהִי בַּחֲצִי הַלַּיְלָה בהגדה של פסח, ומתארות את התקווה לעתיד - "תאיר כאור יום חשכת לילה" ורומזות לפסוק עַל חוֹמֹתַיִךְ יְרוּשָׁלִַם הִפְקַדְתִּי שֹׁמְרִים כָּל הַיּוֹם וְכָל הַלַּיְלָה תָּמִיד לֹא יֶחֱשׁוּ - נבואת העתיד של ישעיה ס"ב, ו.

Modzitz

This melody was actually composed to be used for Shir HaMaalot unlike the Modzitz Kaddish above. But most people (myself included) don't know it.

Bonus content: Other songs from Birkat HaMazon.

Harachaman (hu yishlach lanu)

Kol Salonika, 1972 (Baruch Chait) 

http://djsa.dartmouth.edu/tracks/23681

Harachaman starts at 17:06 in the video below.

Harachaman (hu yanchileinu)

The Rabbis' Sons, 1970 (Baruch Chait)

http://djsa.dartmouth.edu/tracks/42561

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lDZZs0PJMZVXdqdedG09hqqJqdStxwLC/view

Kol Mekadesh

כל מקדש שביעי

It's the first song in the book. Sung on Friday nights in Ashkenazi homes.

Melitz

Rabbi Elimelech Horowitz (1881-1942)

I find this Kol Mekadesh melody to be far better known and used than any others. AW reached out to me asking if I know of its origins, but I couldn't find any details. Thanks to Rabbi Rackovsky for identifying its provenance.

This melody was originally composed by the Melitzer Rebbe, Rabbi Elimelech Horowitz. David Werdyger, the Melitzer Rebbe's meshorer, sang it to Mimkomcha (Shabbat Shacharit Kedusha) on the Melitzer album Oneg Shabbos. The album notes that in some cases Rabbi Werdyger chose the words to go with the niggun; I'm not sure if this is one of those cases.

At some point the melody moved over to Kol Mekadesh, and in my experience, it's no longer known as a melody for Kedusha in particular. I'm curious

 

Carlebach

Shlomo Carlebach, 1980 or perhaps earlier.

In my experience (and also Aron White's), Kol Mekadesh is ironically rarely sung to this melody. Instead, it is commonly heard being used for Mimkomcha. Interesting that the Melitzer and Carlebach niggunim swapped places, in a sense.

Kah Ribon

קה ריבון

Traditional, Version 1

A well known Ashkenazi melody. #1 in Neil Levin's Zemirot Anthology. But I like to call it the Yehoram Gaon Ashkenazi tune. Note that Yehoram Gaon has also recorded a sephardic melody...

Recorded and live. On the recorded version, Yehoram belts the repeated "ve'almaya" etc. really well.

 

Traditional, Version 2

#14 in Levin. He suggests that this is the best known melody in America. Provided is a recording by Simon Spiro, which was conducted by Levin himself! Around 3:52 beings a recording of Prok Yas Anach (see below), followed by Lemikdasheich Tuv, whose origin I have yet to discover.

Ari Goldwag Version

1998. This one has become very well known. Recorded and also live with Benny Friedman.

 

Carlebach

Composed by Reb Shlomo. The earliest recording I can find is from a CD released in 1998, after his passing. If you know where this recording was originally found please let me know.

He also used it for a slow Lecha Dodi melody on Shabbos in Shamayim (1997) which is very well known.

D'veykus

#11 in Levin, who suggests it was made popular by this recording on Dveykus 1. Definitely the more popular of the two D'veykus recordings. Beware that it's quite slow; if you want to sing it at your Shabbos table, commit for the long haul.

Also provided is a version on Dveykus 5. It's not so well known but also nice and also slow.

 

Toronto Pirchei

1974. Composed by Yerachiel Begun.

Modzitz

See background here. As sung by Shlomo Carlebach, but the recording is poor.

 

Parts of Kah Ribon

Prok Yas Anach

Modzitz, Imrei Shaul (Rabbi Shaul Taub)

Rebbe Shaul was walking down Rechov Yaffo in Yerushalayim towards the Kosel [Western Wall], when a car pulled up. The people got out and knowing that he composed niggunim, asked him to make up a niggun "on the spot."He then composed BOTH "Prok Yas Anach" and "Vayiten Lecha".

This melody works very well with Mimkomcha (Shabbat Shacharit Kedusha).

 

Niggunim

There are lots of niggunim out there. These happen to be my favourites or niggunim that I find to be popular.

Berditchever Niggun

Is this one by R' Levi Yitzchak, or about him? Not sure...

Moishele's Niggun

Originally composed by Moshe Shur for Ish Yehudi. Popularized by Yossi Green without words.

Niggun LeShabbat Kodesh

This niggun was introduced to contemporary Israeli Judaism by Rabbi Moshe-Tzvi Neria, who was a student of Rav Kook. Rav Neria's father, from whom he learned the niggun, was a rav in Chabad communities in Europe.

Yedid Nefesh is often sung to this melody before Kabbalat Shabbat.

Chabad Niggunim

"Chabadsker" Niggun

It's a bit silly to call one particular niggun *the* Chabad niggun. But that's what people call it.

Rosh Chodesh Kislev Niggun

Niggun Yifrach (Chabad)

But this was originally a Viznitz composition for Vehayu Limshisa in Lecha Dodi:

Yedid Nefesh

ידיד נפש

Frequently sung before Kabbalat Shabbat in modern orthodox synagogues, and during Seudat Shlishit in all Ashkenazi synagogues.

Kabbalat Shabbat Version

Based on Niggun LeShabbat Kodesh, originally a Chabad tune re-introduced by Rabbi Moshe-Zvi Neria, a student of Rav Kook. I'm not sure who decided to set Yedid Nefesh to this niggun.

Seudat Shlishit Version

Composed by Yitzchak Alster at Yeshivas Chaim Berlin no later than 1960. The Noam Singers cover has lots of harmony.

  

Aish Version

Abie Rotenberg and Shlomo Simcha. And an a cappella cover by Lev Tahor.

 

D'veykus II

Composed by Baruch Menzelefsky

Zweig version

Composed by Ehud and Sarah Zweig.

 

Cover by Edna Lev.