Hine Ma Tov

SATB a cappella version (F. 163c) accepted into PROJECT : ENCORE, a curated collection of choral music (search “Fraley”).

Program Notes

Composer’s Corner

Hine Ma Tov is a new setting (i.e. not an arrangement) of the traditional Jewish text from the first lines of Psalm 133. This hymn is commonly sung at gatherings, such as Shabbat feasts, to a variety of traditional tunes.

I was asked to compose an original setting of this text. On one hand, I wanted to create something that would still fit into the tradition of being sung by families and congregations, and, on the other hand, I wanted to create an interesting choral work. My solution was to create a new, lyrical tune which would be appropriate for communal singing, and then to create a choral setting from this new “raw material”.

The Tune

I studied as many traditional tunes associated with Hine Ma Tov as I could find, which, in this day of the internet, meant I had a lot to work with (a few examples). Fortunately, many were recordings of individuals singing the tunes they heard growing up, rather than just commercial recordings.

In the end, I created a tune that reflects many commonalities of the traditional tunes: my new tune is in a 6/8 time signature, includes some dotted rhythms, is largely based upon the natural minor scale, and has a simple ABA form. (PDF of this new tune for Hine Ma Tov)

The Text

I like to create music that reinforces and adds depth to the text. This short text has lots of interesting characteristics. The first is that, grammatically, the clause “hine ma tov” (“behold how good”) is masculine, while “u’ma na’im” (“and how pleasing”) is feminine. The melodic structure of each of these phrases reflects this characteristic. The entrance of the choir (at 0:32 in the recording) also directly reflects this, with the tenors and basses singing “hine ma tov shevet achim gam yachad” and the sopranos and altos responding “u’ma na’im shevet achim gam yachad”.

Another interesting aspect of this text is the phrase “shevet achim gam yachad” which loosely means “…it is when brothers live together”. Here, “brothers” is inclusive, so one could say “when people live together”. But I think the most interesting part is what is implied by “together”. The word “yachad” is from the word “yachid” which means absolute unity and has a higher connotation than just peace and harmony. An illustration of this: The question is asked in the Talmud, “How can you describe HaShem (God)” and the reply is “Yachid” (absolute unity). Thus, “yachad” has a connotation that implies unity with the Creator, and not just with other people—a very profound “together” indeed!

The Setting

This text is a celebration of community, and this must remain firmly in one’s mind when performing this piece. Our natural tendency as Americans steeped in pop culture is to associate minor keys with subjects that are more poignant or melancholy. That association is simply not true when applied to folk music, and is certainly not true for Hine Ma Tov. This is why the score markings cajole the men to sing their first line “with gusto”, and later “with a bounce” and “boisterously”.

That being said, this setting of my new tune incorporates several dramatic elements which are more appropriate for the stage than for communal singing. The piano introduction, for example, is more dramatic than a folk song.

The main drama, however, unfolds starting at ms. 59: the text ”Hine!” (“Look!” or “Behold!”) is set unlike any folk tune (at 1:42 in the recording). Here, the choral setting picks up on the spiritual aspects of the text—we are being asked to behold a God-inspired unity among people, and this notion is beyond what mere words can convey. The exclamation of “Hine!” unfolds into a tone cluster—the musical texture dramatically shifts and a new key is firmly established. This and the following interjections of “Hine!” form the skeleton for the larger structure for this piece. After a short interlude, a second “Hine!” takes us back to the original key, but now with a more lively setting of the tune (at 2:43), illustrating how God animates our community. This final reprise of the tune brings us back to the dramatic “Hine!” which, this time, not only unfolds into a tone cluster, but the voices then converge upon a single pitch, ending the piece with a representation of the ideal of “yachad”.

Performance Notes

The accompanied versions (SATB + piano and SSA + piano) sit at Level 2 (Easy), with the piano providing harmonic support and rhythmic grounding. The a cappella SATB version is Level 3 (Intermediate), requiring greater independence from the singers. The 6/8 meter, lyrical melody, and ABA form make all versions well suited for community choruses, church choirs, and school ensembles—high school choirs have performed the a cappella version with great success.

The a cappella version is a bit shorter, since the piano introduction and interludes are removed—the vocal parts are nearly identical, with some modifications to accommodate the fact that the piano no longer bridges sections of the piece.

Rehearsal Resources

To help choirs prepare, here are several recordings of Hine Ma Tov. Please note that your director will likely choose different tempos, and conduct tempo changes differently than on these recordings. These recordings are not authoritative, but rather are a useful aid for learning notes and for getting a feel for the piece. As always, keep one eye up and follow your director!

Note that in some of these recordings (e.g. Chorus parts only, Piano part only, etc.), long rests are shortened to about 3 seconds.

These recordings are protected by copyright—please do not post them to other public sites. If you wish to share these recordings, please link to this page. If you’ve purchased an adequate number of octavos for your group, you may use them privately within your choir.

Mp3 Files

Hine Ma Tov (F. 163a — SATB and Piano) — “Sung” by the computer with the piano accompaniment

Hine Ma Tov (F. 163a — SATB and Piano) — Chorus parts only, “sung” by the computer

Hine Ma Tov (F. 163a — SATB and Piano) — Piano part only

Hine Ma Tov (F. 163a — SATB and Piano) — Chorus parts played by piano

The Text

About This Recording

Premiered May 2013 by Gaithersburg Community Chorus, Gaithersburg, Maryland; Hugh Harvey, director.

The featured recording is from Stories, a CD of a cappella music composed by Fraley, performed by the Byrd Ensemble (2017).

The a cappella version (F. 163c) came about because of this recording. While preparing for the Stories session, Byrd Ensemble director Markdavin Obenza expressed interest in recording the piece, but the Byrd Ensemble is a strictly unaccompanied choir. This led to stripping out the piano to create the a cappella version—at the time, only the accompanied version (F. 163a) existed.