Wednesday, August 11, 2004

Name That Tune

A reader writes:
I enjoy your blog and hope that you can answer an burning question for me. I'm looking for the source of a tune that's been a popular nigun for the last 5-10 years. It's usually sung as "Ein Kelokeinu" or "Asher Bara". Unfortunately the best example I have at hand is "Time for Shabbos" on Uncle Moishy Vol. 9 (wish I had a better example but Uncle Moishy is pretty much all the kids will let me listen to these days :).
The reason I'm asking is that I'm pretty sure I once heard this tune on the "Thistle and Shamrock" Irish music show on NPR. Even if I'm inventing this memory, the tune sounds very Celtic to me, although it could just as easily be Chasidic in origin. Can you help me find the true origin of this tune?
Any Uncle Moishy experts out there??? Our taste in children's music runs more towards "Captain Dovid and the Rebbes of Rhythm", Neshoma Orchestra's "Let's Sing The Alef-Beis", and "Shlock Rock for Kids".