Title: En el Nombre del Cielo
Performances: Misioneros de la Palabra, a catholic recording company that distributes a variety of religious music recordings. The name of the musicians are not listed.
Culture: During the christmas season in Mexico, people reenact the biblical event of Mary and Joseph trying to find shelter for the son of God. For one night, a group of people migrate to a home and sing a litany from the scripture. The home owners respond in song with the proceeding litany. At the end of the procession, the traveling group of people are invited into the home and celebrate. This event is also practiced in the united states among hispanic communities.
Instrumentation: Accordions, Voices (Spanish), Guitar, Bass.
The article by Ms. Lisa Koops discussed the methods and purposes for teaching an authentic piece of music to students in a music classroom. It can be difficult to find an authentic version of a foreign piece of music, as it can be tricky to trace the origins, obtain the instruments and completely understanding the cultural context in which a piece is connected to. Music is also modified when it travels to different nations. This song in particular is rooted in the tradition of the procession, created around 1600's in Spain and it is now chiefly celebrated in Mexico. It is unknown whether the song was originally performed with instruments or with voice. Above is an example of an arrangement of the song with instruments. Below is an example of the song used in its context, the reenactment of seeking shelter.
A group of people celebrating the procession of La Posada.
This is an example of the same song in a pop version. Koops article raises the question of what authenticity really means. Does it matter if students learn the context and history of the music and replicate it exactly as it was originally intended? Or does learning the structure of the music give more relevance without any cultural recognition. Personally, I think that authentic music is created if the students/performances can relate to it and receive aesthetic value and appreciation. The relevance can come from understanding and performing the music culturally correct. However, if students are not emulating the essence of the piece through the performances while replicating the music as it originated, it can't really be authentic without any human emotion involved, which is what music is all about.
