California Dreamin’ in Yiddish with beatboxing and a flute

מיר איז תּמיד אינטערעסאַנט, ווען מענטשן זעצן איבער פּאָפּולערע אַמעריקאַנער לידער אויף ייִדיש, בפֿרט ווען עס גייט אַ רייד וועגן אַ ליד, וואָס האָט ניט קיין שום שײַכות צו ייִדן אָדער ייִדישקייט.

לעצטנס האָט דער ניו־דזשערזיער ייִדישער כאָר „שרים ושרות“ אַרויסגעלאָזט אַ ייִדישן נוסח פֿונעם ליד California Dreamin פֿון דער פֿאָלקראָק־קאַפּעליע Mamas and the Papas („די מאַמעס און די טאַטעס“). דאָס ליד, רעקאָרדירט באַזונדערהייט דורך זום און צונויפֿגעפֿלאָכטן שפּעטער אין אַ גאַנצקייט, האָט איבערגעזעצט אויף ייִדיש ד׳׳ר שלמה־חיים כּהן, וואָס באַגלייט דעם כאָר אינעם ווידעאָ מיט זײַן אייגענעם „ביטבאָקסינג“ (קלאַנגען ווי אַ פּויק געמאַכט מיטן מויל), בעת זײַן טאָכטער חנה שפּילט אויף דער פֿלייט. עס דיריגירט איליין ראָבינסאָן־גראָסמאַן. די סאָלאָיִסטקע איז פֿראַנצין סאַפֿיר.

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“California Dreamin'” – Yiddish Parody (Kalifornyer Kholem)

Original English words and Music: John and Michelle Phillips
Yiddish words and Choral arrangement: Stephen M. (Shloyme-Khayim) Cohen
Edited: Binyumen Schaechter

Filmed live in performance
June 1, 2014 • Symphony Space, NYC
Jewish People’s Philharmonic Chorus
Binyumen Schaechter, conductor
Shinae Kim, pianist
Soloist: Andrew Roth

As a student at the University of Pennsylvania in 1984, Stephen M. (Shloyme-Khayim) Cohen thought it would be fun to arrange the Mamas and the Papas’ popular song, “California Dreamin'” for chorus. Many years later, in 2001, he decided that what would make it more special still was to have it be in Yiddish, and not as a direct translation, but rather with a Jewish touch. Some years after that, our conductor, Binyumen, who knew Cohen mainly from Yugntruf’s annual Yidish-Vokh retreat, heard the arrangement himself. He loved it and wanted the JPPC to sing it. However, Cohen’s arrangement called for a lengthy flute solo in the middle, and the JPPC didn’t have a flutist. Furthermore, the JPPC at that time lacked a strong bass section that could handle the low key.

So, with Cohen’s permission, Binyumen set about making the piece user-friendly for our chorus. He raised the overall key so that the bass section (at that time consisting of only 3-4 baritones) could sing the low notes. He cut out the flute section and replaced it with an exciting, upward modulation to a repeat of the refrain. And he made a few other tweaks here and there. Ironically, when we gave the NYC premiere of this arrangement in June 2012, the key was now too high for the tenors, and so the tenor solo had to be sung by an alto! But all’s well that ends well: now, our chorus has a much stronger bass section, so we’ve returned to the original lower key for the 2014 performance at Symphony Space (NYC) heard in this YouTube video, making it easier for the basses and the tenors, and allowing for the soloist once again to be, as intended, a tenor.