Oy Comamos Y Bebamos

Description

Soprano 1, Soprano 2, Alto 1, Alto 2 — Oy Comamos Y Bebamos, composed by Juan del Encina in the late 15th century, is a lively villancico, or Spanish folk tune, that celebrates a large feast before the Lenten fast. The lyrics translate roughly to “let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we will fast.” This arrangement seeks to bring out the festive, and sometimes dizzying nature of a large feast or party as it devolves into disarray towards the end of the night. The piece begins by paying homage to the original composition, with an SSAA arrangement of the original voicing. As the piece progresses, the harmonies become more dissonant, and the rhythms disjointed, symbolizing the jubilant party spirit overwhelming the guests. The piece concludes with a declaration that the fasting will begin tomorrow, bringing the festivities to a close. I was drawn to arrange this piece not only because of the exciting and lively nature of the music, but also because I feel that I have a special connection with the Spanish language and culture. My mother, Melodee, grew up in Mexico and was a Spanish teacher for many years. She was passionate about Latin American and Spanish culture and instilled that passion in me as my mother and Spanish teacher. As a part of her AP Spanish course, she took my class on a tour to Spain. One of the many cities that we visited was Salamanca, where we visited Juan del Encina’s place of study: Salamanca University. This trip was very impactful, and I fell in love with the unique nature of Spanish culture and the many influences that have created the architectural, musical and artistic landscape of this beautiful country. When I encountered this piece many years later, I felt drawn to create an arrangement. There are many excellent pedagogical aspects to this piece. It provides an accessible entry point into learning a piece in a foreign language, as Spanish is familiar to many and is the fourth most widely spoken language in the world. This piece also provides an opportunity to discuss Renaissance genres with your students, and how the music of this time was used to commemorate both sacred and secular traditions. This exciting and fresh arrangement is sure to engage advanced treble choirs! Pronunciation GuideAs mentioned above, this piece originates from Spain which uses Castilian Spanish. Below are some helpful pronunciation notes for teaching this piece. Some vowel combinations and consonants may be omitted because they are not present in the piece. Vowels: Vowels by themselves are pure with no diphthong. A - [a] “ah”E - [e] “eh”I -   [i] “ee”O - [o] “oh”U - [u] “oo”Y -  [i] “ee” Vowels in combination create diphthongs. AI and AY - [ai] “ay” ayunaremosIE - [ie] “ee eh” comiendoEY - [ei] “ey” BeneitoConsonants:Many consonants are similar to English diction. Listed below are the consonants that require special pronunciations. B - [b] plosive, as in “boy” OR [β] voiced bilabial fricative, pronounced like a soft b. Cross between a b and a v. B at the beginning of a word uses the plosive [b] sound (as in “Bras”)B in the middle or end of a word uses the softer [β]. The word “bebemos” should sound like [beβemos]. D - [d] as in “dog” OR [ð] as in “them.”D at the beginning of a word uses [d] (as in “daca” and “deleyto”)D in the middle of a word uses [ð] (as in  “perderemos”)H - silentJ - [x] pronounced like a soft j sound. Cross between “j” and “shh.” (as in pellejo)LL - [ʎ] as in “yum” (seen in “pellejo”)Ñ - [ɲ] as in “canyon” (seen in “mañana”)V - See rules for B. Sarah Allen’s SSAA arrangement of Juan del Encina’s lively 15th-century villancico Oy Comamos y Bebamos captures the festive spirit of a grand feast before the Lenten fast. Beginning with a nod to the original voicing, the music gradually shifts into more adventurous dissonances and increasingly energetic rhythms, reflecting a celebration that grows more exuberant as the night unfolds. Accessible Spanish text and clear Renaissance style make this a vibrant and engaging selection for advanced treble choirs.

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