[Avodah] changing tune in lecha dodi

[Chanoch (Ken) Bloom]

On Mon, 2010-11-22 at 14:57 -0600, The Goldmeiers wrote:
> Regardless, My Rov recently made a statement that he wants to insists ALL
> chazanim to change the tune and he dislikes it when a chazan doesn't.
> he says, "it's become minhag Yisroel" to change the tune...
> is generally a nationally respected rov and poseik. When I questioned
> him about the status of this strange behavior, he replied, yes, it is
> now minhag yisroel and I hate it when the chazan doesn't change the tune.

> So, my question to you all is, minhag yisroel? do ALL of you change
> the tune? Is this early onset? (ok, just kidding on that one)

Well, all of the Sephardi synagogues I've been to use only one melody
for Lecha Dodi, but then again, very frequently Sephardim are not
counted when deciding what's "minhag yisroel".

On Mon, 2010-11-22 at 17:25 -0500, Micha Berger wrote:
> I think in practice, it's pretty close to universal. That has been my
> observation listening to minyanim from numerous eidot at the kotel.
> There are some holdouts, but not many.

If you're basing your observations on the kotel, then you're missing the
fact that among Minhag Yerushalyim Sephardim, there is *one* particular
traditional melody[1] that they use for Lecha Dodi, and they use it the
whole way through. I don't claim to know how this melody came about as
the traditional melody, or why it's so standard, but you can easily
identify the people who follow this minhag -- they're the ones who face
west through all of Mizmor L'David and Lecha Dodi.

[1] This one:
http://www.piyut.org.il/tradition/42.html?currPerformanceC

~Chanoch