The Music of the Haggadah

By: The Chaz

April 19, 2008

As we approach Pesach, it is traditional to begin to review the Haggadah and its commentaries, as well as to prepare stories to tell the children who are present. It is also a good idea to begin to review the music of the Haggadah, so that when the seder arrives, it is clear which melodies you are going to sing.
The Haggadah is rich with a musical history that is as old as the one-thousand year-old Babylonian melody that children sing for "Kadesh Ur'chatz" or as young as Shlomo Carlebach's "Adir Hu," or the NCSY "Who knows one?." For “Ma Nishatana,” some sing the traditional melody in the "learning" style, others sing the popular, newer version from Israel of the 1950's. “Eliyahu Hanovi” is one of our oldest folk song texts (800-1,000 years old) but is not officially part of the Haggadah. The melody itself, is less than 250 years old. The traditional "Adir Hu" is from Amsterdam of the 1640's. The Kiddush melody is more than 800 years old, and is used for Akdamot on Shavuot as well.

Whatever you may sing, join in with gusto and joy and your seder will be a memorable one.