Camp David for double-reed quintet (2 oboes, cor anglais, bassoon, contrabassoon)

Description

A klezmer style piece, somewhat camp, based partly on a Yiddish folk song – ikh bin a meidel in de joren.

[Lyrics of the original folksong – English version below]
Ikh bin e meidel in de jóren
vos hosti mir in kop fardreit
Ikh volt shoin lang a kaleh gevoren
un efsher khasene gehot

Un efsher geit es dir in nadan
mayn mama veit farkoifen a shtib
Nu lomir beide khasene hoben
vayl ikh dikh hob take lib

Un efsher geit es dir in yikhes
mayn zeide iz gewesen a rov
Nu lomir beide khasene hoben
un zol shoin nemen a sof

I am becoming an old maid already
and you’ve been fooling me
I’ve long wanted to be a bride
and get married

Maybe you’re concerned about the dowry
My mother will sell a house
let us both marry
because I love you so much

Maybe you’re concerned about pedigree
My grandfather was a rabbi
let us both marry
and let that be an end of it