A Nossa Lapinha by Daniel Afonso Jr.

Recording

English

Our little lapa

Is about to be burned.

And we, the little shepherdesses

Should cry.

I feel such pain

In my heart

For seeing the little lapa

Turned into coal.

Our little lapa

Is about to be burned.

In fire and flames

It will soon end.

IPA Pronunciation Guide – Text

IPA Pronunciation Guide – Audio

Composition

A Nossa Lapinha is based on a traditional song performed in a folk celebration that happens in Brazil in early January, at midnight on Epiphany—which in Brazil is called “Dia dos Reis” (or “Day of the Kings”). This folk celebration is known as “Queima da Lapinha” (“the burning of the Lapinha”). Although the word “lapa” (lapinha is a “small lapa”) translates literally as “cave, grotto, or cavern,” lapinha is used here to represent a nativity scene. So, during this festivity, people disassemble the nativity scenes that have been placed at homes, churches, and other public places for the Christmas season and remove all figures that represent the characters. Then they take everything that was used to decorate the manger and the whole nativity set (flowers, leaves, straw, etc.) to be burned. “Queima” means “burning;” thus “the burning of the nativity scene”.

Some people believe that the things used to decorate the manger are holy and should not be used for anything else after that—some even believe that if they don’t burn these items, the owner of the nativity set will have bad luck during the new year. So, to avoid any unfortunate events or simply bad luck in the new year, they burn everything. The emotional character of the song is a mix of sadness (because it represents the end of the Christmas season and all its celebrations) and hope. Hope that, by respecting the holiness of the scene, the faithful will have a good/blessed new year.

I first heard this melody performed by a children’s choir when I was in high school, during a holiday celebration. It remained registered “in my head” all these years, until I had the opportunity to write my own arrangement for Magen Solomon and the San Francisco Choral Artists, when I served as composer-in-residence during their 2014-15 season.

Composer

Daniel R. Afonso, Jr. is professor of music and Coordinator of Vocal and Choral Studies at California State University, Stanislaus. He received a degree in Educação Artística from the Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, a Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Choral Conducting and Pedagogy from the University of Iowa. Afonso is also the founding director of the Modesto Symphony Orchestra Chorus. He is originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and has studied conducting with Carlos Alberto Figueiredo, Cees Rotteveel, Eph Ehly, and William Hatcher. Dr. Afonso has performed with choral groups in Brazil, U.S., and Europe, and has previously taught music at the Conservatório Brasileiro de Música and at Doane College (Nebraska). Afonso was the recipient of the 2020 California Music Educators Association’s John Swain College-University Educator Award.

Daniel Afonso is a composer, arranger, and editor of choral music and has several choral works published in the U.S. He served as composer-in-residence with the San Francisco Choral Artists during their 2014-2015 season and has also written works for the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Children’s Choir, the Modesto Symphony Orchestra and Choruses, as well as other ensembles in the US and abroad. Dr. Afonso is also widely recognized for his research and performance of Brazilian choral music and continues to frequently present workshops and lectures about the Latin American choral repertoire in the US and abroad.

Publisher

La Voz Music Publishing