Lo Yisa Goi (No.2) – Nation Shall Not Raise Sword

Music and Audio © Alexander Massey 28 January 2017

Instrumental version (easier to hear the individual parts)

BUY the sheet music – $4.50 (3 copies @ $1.50)

This three part round is written in 2 languages (Hebrew and English) and 3 different time signatures (4/4, 6/8 and 3/4)! Each line being pitted against the other two. Although this might seem a formula for chaos – just as war is – in fact, the lines end up in rhythmic step with each other. And the piece ends with all three parts singing, in unison, ‘War no more!’. This piece takes confidence, independence, keen listening, cooperation, practice and perseverance to master. But then, so does peace.

Lo yisa goi el goi cherev, v’lo yilm’du od milchamah.

“Nation shall not raise sword against nation,
And they shall not learn war any more.” (Micah 4:3, Isaiah 2:4)

I have written another setting of Lo Yisa Goi, also a round, that combines with another round, Sim Shalom (No.2) – Lo Yisa Goi (No.1).

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