On Sundays and holidays, when there was no fasting, in most villages in Transylvania, ‘jocuri’ (pl. of ‘joc’, literal ‘game’) or Hora dances were organized. In the pre-modern period, when there were no cultural homes like today, ‘jocuri’ were held during the summer in a villager’s yard or shed, and in the winter in a house.
In many villages, the organization of a ‘joc’ at the farm was announced in advance. But, so that the villagers would not forget, in the morning, before going to church, the village ‘dobaș’ climbed the highest hill and announced for the whole village to hear that on that Sunday, after the Holy Liturgy, there was a ‘joy’. All in the village participated: from the priest, the teacher and even the smallest children, who although were not directly involved still had a keen interest from the sidelines.
The organization always fell to the “chizas” (two or three older boys from the village, usually escaped from the army). After the church service was over that Sunday, the ‘joc’ would begin.
The musicians entered the hall, accompanied by the boys who paid them. In the circle, on the sidelines, the girls were waiting to be called to the game. In some villages on Valea Țibleșului in Județul (county of) Bistrita-Năsăud, the girls walked in groups in the middle of the village or around the street where the ‘joc’ was taking place and waited to be called by the boys, because they could not enter the game alone. In the region of Valea Bârgăului, it was mandatory for every girl to go to the game with her boyfriend or a cousin.
The game lasted for several hours with short breaks, after which the girls were led home by the boys “before sunrise”. Sometimes they were led to the gate. Other times the boys entered the house and were served a glass of horincă (alcoholic beverage similar to palinka, vodka).
The song itself is composed of two main themes: one fast paced phrase repeating 3-4 times, followed a slow climb from the tonic, supertonic, and then mediant, then a quick descent through thirds back to the tonic. Immediately after, the slow climb phrase is copied, but transposed up a fifth (perfect), and is terminated by a rapid descent back into the first theme. This whole set repeats a few times, as needed for the ‘joc’.
To see the sheet music for this piece, click here.
Thank you !
Citation: https://radiorenasterea.ro/jocul-la-sura-in-satele-din-transilvania/ (Romanian)
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