Organized and Arranged by Dr. John Galish and Herman Koelmel for the 2003 and 2015 Sängerfeste 1 of 8

Rheinlieder Potpourri

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Organized and Arranged by Dr. John Galish and Herman Koelmel for the 2003 and 2015 Sängerfeste

Rheinlieder Potpourri

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Rheinlieder Potpourri

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Organized and Arranged by Dr. John Galish and Herman Koelmel for the 2003 and 2015 Sängerfeste

Rheinlieder Potpourri

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Rheinlieder Potpourri

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Organized and Arranged by Dr. John Galish and Herman Koelmel for the 2003 and 2015 Sängerfeste

Rheinlieder Potpourri

Organized and Arranged by Dr. John Galish and Herman Koelmel for the 2003 and 2015 Sängerfeste 7 of 8

Rheinlieder Potpourri

WWeennnn ddaass WWaasssseerr iimm RRhheeiinn ggoollddnneerr WWeeiinn wwäärr If the water in the Rhine were golden wine

1. How often have I thought of the Rhine: Children, this was so pleasant,. I was completely surprised overnight. When a Wizard came to me. He then held his magic wand over me, With Hokus and Pokus and so,

and one, two, three, I became a frisky fish and swim anywhere in the Rhine.

2. But if I become weary of the Rhine wine I’d swim down to the river Moselle and remain there for longer time, because I'm a wine connoisseur.

But if I’d like to be somewhere else I’ll make ' a jaunt to the AHR (a tributary of the Rhine) and eventual find myself at the Rhine once again, While that was the original starting point.

Refrain: If the water in the Rhine were golden wine, Yes, then I would be like to be a little fish.

Oh, how then I could be tippling (drinking) Need never to buy more wine, Because the cask from Father Rhine would never empty.

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In the Fall of 2000 the Kingston Männerchor and Damenchor wanted to sing IInn MMaaiinnzz aamm sscchhöönneenn

RRhheeiinn but did not have a choral arrangement of this song. We contacted all the German choruses

in the NYS Sängerbund, around the North East, and in Germany to no avail. As a last resort we

contacted the mayor of Mainz who graciously sent us the music and lyrics.

In 2001 as we were planning to host the 2003 Sängerfest we decided to share this and other

folksongs about the Rhein with all the choruses in the sängerbund. Our Director John Galish and

Sängerfest Co-Chairman Herman Koelmel assembled and arranged four folksongs and created

the RRhheeiinnlliieeddeerr PPoottppoouurrrrii which was sung in the Mass Chorus Concert at the 2003 Sängerfest

Warum ist es am Rhein so schön? Why is it so beautiful on the Rhine? In Mainz am schönen Rhein In Mainz on the beautiful Rhine

O du wunderschöner Deutscher Rhein O you beautiful German Rhine Einmal am Rhein Once on the Rhine

Early in 2014 John and Herman collaborated once more to put that final touch on the potpourri.

They chose a joyful little ditty that wonders if the Rhein River were made of golden wine.

Wenn das Wasser im Rhein goldner Wein wär If the water in the Rhine were golden wine

They presented it to the Utica Männerchor in celebration of their 150th

Anniversary and 37th

Sängerfest in 2015.

In addition, they suggest that this collection of five songs can be performed in several formats:

� Place it anywhere in your program and sing all five songs completely through as presented.

� Place it last in your program, sing the first four songs (original version), have a short pause to

say “thank you”, “good bye”, etc., and then sing the last song as a finale or encore.

We hope you enjoy this potpourri; add it to your music library, include it in future concerts, and

preserve it for future generations.

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Organized and Arranged by Dr. John Galish and Herman Koelmel for the 2003 and 2015 Sängerfeste