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.