The ''Andachtsjodler'' (English: ''Devotional yodel''; also called: ''Sterzinger'' ''Andachtsjodler'', ''Mettenjodler'', ''Rauhnachtjodler'', or ''Jodlerandacht'') is an untexted spiritual yodeling song which originated in the Christmas mass of the

South Tyrol it, Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano – Alto Adige lld, Provinzia Autonoma de Balsan/Bulsan – Südtirol , settlement_type = Autonomous province , image_skyline = , image_alt ...

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

. Today it is performed in both liturgical and secular contexts, especially in

Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...

folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...

History

The folklorist opined that the yodel in its present form came into being at the end of the 18th or beginning of the 19th century. Records state that the song was still sung in 1830 at Christmas mass in Sterzing (South Tyrol) as an annex to a shepherd's song (

Christmas carol A Christmas carol is a carol (a song or hymn) on the theme of Christmas, traditionally sung at Christmas itself or during the surrounding Christmas holiday season. The term noel has sometimes been used, especially for carols of French ori ...

).Liebleitner, Karl (1921). "Jokl, Haisl, Hansl, Michl" (in German). ''Das Deutsche Volkslied''. 23: pp. 76–77. . According to , it was still heard there in 1850 from the

Holy Ghost hole A Holy Ghost hole, or Holy Spirit hole, is a circular opening in the ceiling of a church which symbolises the descent of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. The openings are often used for liturgical performances. They were most commonly bui ...

during the

Transubstantiation Transubstantiation (Latin: ''transubstantiatio''; Greek: μετουσίωσις ''metousiosis'') is, according to the teaching of the Catholic Church, "the change of the whole substance of bread into the substance of the Body of Christ and of th ...

. It appeared at the onset of Cecilianism but soon became largely forgotten. It was rediscovered by the Berlin high school teacher

Max Pohl Max Pohl (10 December 1855 – 7 April 1935) was an Austrian stage and film actor.Gadberry p.155 Selected filmography * '' The Black Tulip Festival'' (1920) * '' The Marquise of Armiani'' (1920) * ''The Fear of Women'' (1921) * '' The Oath of Ste ...

(1869–1928) within the Wandervogel movement.

Annette Thoma Annette Schenk Thoma (23 January 1886 – 26 November 1974) was a German author, composer, and folklorist who is best remembered for her composition ''Deutsche Bauernmesse'' (German Farmers’ Mass''), a mass in Bavarian adapting folk tunes. Life ...

used the yodel in her (German peasants' mass) (1933). The 'Salzburg Advent Singing' () also contributed to the yodel's popularity, as it is sung by both the participants and the audience.

Score and chant

The notation follows the two-part version by folksong researcher Karl Liebleitner (1858–1942) from 1921, which corresponds to the Sterzing variant. According to Friedrich Haider, there are also other variants from the (from westwards) and the

Pfitscher Tal The Pfitschtal or Pfitscher Tal ( it, Val di Vizze; german: Pfitschtal) is a valley in South Tyrol, Italy. The Italian name ''Val di Vizze'' is used both for the valley and for the municipality of Pfitsch Pfitsch (; it, Val di Vizze ) is a '' ...

(from Sterzing eastwards).

Performance

In more recent times, the devotional yodel is usually performed in three voices, often with instrumental accompaniment. In some releases, the traditional yodeling lyrics are followed by a newly added four-stanza poem of unknown author. It is unclear whether this additional text should be sung to the yodel melody or whether it has its own melody. In the "Liederkiste", a free online songbook, it is referred to as "Alternative Text". Male choirs sometimes sing it in four parts to the yodel melody.

Poem example

Heut' in der Nacht Hab' ich hoch am Berg gewacht, Denn dort droben kann ich sein Mit dem Herrgott ganz allein. Heut' in der Nacht Hab' ich hoch am Berg gedacht: Unsere Welt wär' öd und leer Wenn der Herrgott nicht wär. Heut' in der Nacht Hab' mein Herz ich aufgemacht, Hab' dem Herrgott erzählt Von dem Jammer auf der Welt. Heut' in der Nacht Hat er freundlich Trost mir 'bracht. Drunten ruht das stille Tal Droben Sternlein ohne Zahl. Tonight I kept watch high on the mountain, because up there I can be all alone with the Lord God. Tonight I thought high on the mountain: Our world would be desolate and empty If it wasn't for the Lord God. Tonight I opened my heart, I told the Lord God about the misery in the world. Tonight he kindly brought me comfort. Below rests the quiet valley up there little stars without number.

Literature

* Karl, Werner, ed. (1974).
Liederbuch für Bergsteiger
' (in German) (2nd ed.). Münich:

Bergverlag Rother Bergverlag Rother is a German publisher with its headquarters in Oberhaching, Upper Bavaria. Since 1950 the company, that formerly went under the name of ''Bergverlag Rudolf Rother'', has published the Alpine Club Guides in cooperation with the Ge ...

. p. 189. ISBN 3-7633-8006-X. * Pauli, Keim (2001). ''Alte Oberbayerische Volkslieder'' (in German). Köln: Parkland. p. 294. . * Mantinger, Brigette (2007)
"Der Andachsjodler"
(in German). ''Vierteltakt: Das Kommunikationsinstrument des Oberösterreichischen Volksliedwerkes''. 3: pp. 2.7–2.11 – via Forum oö Geschichte * Schmidkunz, Walter; List, Karl; Fanderl, Wastl; eds. (1979). ''Das Leibhaftige Liederbuch: Alpenländische Liedersammlung'' (in German). Wolfenbüttel: Möseler. p. 41. .

Notes

References

{{Commons category, suffix=Sammlung von Audiodateien

External links

Andachtsjodler: Wachauer Adventsingen 2019
(YouTube)
Voice of Nature: Andachtsjodler
(YouTube)
Andachtsjodler: Salzburger Adventsingen

Informal Performance in Ireland
starting at 1:30 (YouTube)

im Liederprojekt von Carus und SWR2, retrieved 17 October 2017 Singing Religious music South Tyrol Folk music Yodelers Austrian folk music