chumm, mir wei ga Chrieseli günne

two small choirs, the 'momosingers' - average age approximately 90 - and 'ricordabiles' - average age more like 25 - sing one of the loveliest, but also in terms of its sentiment and plea most unusual swiss traditionals in a hauntingly beautiful arrangement by marco tasende.

i had the great privilege to be creating some incidental video backdrop projection for a programme entitled 'gibeligääli...' (a word that stems from the lyrics of this song and means as much or as little, perhaps, as 'yibbediyellow'), which was billed, again roughly translated, as 'a joyful journey down memory lane in song, image and sound'.

while most of the imagery used in the video projection consisted of abstract evocations of the memories singers associated with their songs, for this one i decided to project the singers themselves, but not as a live feed or 'mock feed', but as stylised footage from one of their rehearsals, which is why i kept this in monochrome and also why the lips are deliberately out of synch. this now is the video made for that particular purpose, laid over the actual live sound recording from one of the two performances.

my thanks go to producer claudia brodbeck whose idea 'gibeligääli...' was, to marco tasende for his subtly glorious arrangement, and to all the singers for their generous contribution to an event which this short video was only a very small part of. and in particular also to simon denzler who was more collaborator than merely assistant on many of the videos we created.

if you don't speak swiss, the following is a very inadequate translation that more or less gives the meaning and structure. what it can't convey, unfortunately, is the heart-rending melancholy enjoined with a hopeful resilience, and especially just the colour of the bernese (i think, though it may be upper aargau, or similar) dialect. this, for instance, talks about a place with 'gar grüseli viil' cherries. it's impossible to get across how endearingly descriptive this is. 'an awful lot', or 'awfully many' (or let alone 'more than a few' as i put here, in order for it to scan) scarcely begins to reflect the poetry in these simple, touching verses:


come, let's go and pick us some cherries
i know a place with more than a few
red and black and yibbediyellow...
three on a stem or maybe just two
faleri, falera, faleri, falera
three on a stem or maybe just two

[the first verse is repeated in this version]

it's not about a new pair of trousers
it's not about a new pair of shoes
everything is not for the handsome
it's really about what somebody does
faleri, falera, faleri, falera
it's really about what somebody does

i am not blessed with riches or land
i am not pretty to behold
surely though there's someone for my hand
god keeps the ugly too in his fold
faleri, falera, faleri, falera
god keeps the ugly too in his fold

so come, let's go and pick us some cherries
i know a place with more than a few
red and black and yibbediyellow...
three on a stem or maybe just two
faleri, falera, faleri, falera
three on a stem or maybe just two

Category:

Music

Tags:

• chumm
• mir
• wei
• ga
• chriesli
• günne
• gibeligääli
• momosingers
• ricordabiles
• marco
• tasende
• claudia
• brodbeck
• sebastian
• michael

[paterseraphicus]

Chumm, mir wei ga Chrieseli günne, Weiß am en Ort gar grüseli vil. Rooti, schwarzi, gibeligääli, Zwöi u drüü an einem Stiil. Valleri, vallera, valleri, vallera, Zwöi u drüü an einem Stiil. S lyt nit alls an eim Paar Hose, S lyt nit alls en eim Paar Schue. S isch nit alls a dr Hübschi gläge, S lyt vil mee am ordeli tue. Valleri, vallera, valleri, vallera, S lyt vil mee am ordeli tue.

[paterseraphicus]

By nid rych uf deren Ärde,

By nid hübsch von Angesicht.

S mues mer doch o Eine wärde,

Gott verlaat di Wüeschte nit.

Valleri, vallera, valleri, vallera,

Gott verlaat di Wüeschte nit.

[fiedelmina]

Megschön.

Ich han immer nur die erschti Schtrophe vo däm Lied ghört! Gisch is no der ganz Text uf Schwiizerdütsch?

[hansnini]

mir chömed d'räne..

[airbutz]

very touching..marvellous..it reminds me of my mom that passed away a couple of years ago. as a child i used to sing that song with her very often. i had to weep like a baby hearing this again and see the faces of these seniors reminding me of her. thanks for this wonderful memory. all the best..

[HermannPalmer]

Welche Geschichten wohl hinter diesen Gesichtern stehen?

Schön, daß die jungen Leute sich die Zeit nehmen um etwas Glück in dieses Heim zu bringen.

Dafür danken wir euch...

[spiritonwings]

Oh so sweet!!!! Blessings be to those sweet singers and also the elderly who may recall their childhood through song!!!

THANK YOU!!!!!!! for posting this. The world is a better place for people like you!!!!

[MinorMinor1]

bravo! wunderschön

[ElektrischerApparat]

hauntingly sweet memories of home indeed..

[nubulus]

süessi erinnerige - für jung und alt ;-)