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Bóg się rodzi (God Is Born)
A Polish Christmas carol to Franciszek Karpiński’s words (1792), in the rhythm of a polonaise, sung on “lah.” It opens with an octave leap; in the second half one phrase comes back four times.
Bóg się rodzi (God Is Born) is a Polish Christmas carol to words by Franciszek Karpiński, published in 1792. Its tune, of uncertain authorship, is a polonaise in triple time and had already appeared in print in 1838. You sing it on “lah.” It opens with a leap of an octave from the root to the top, then steps down. The first half is sung twice; the second repeats one phrase four times, with a new ending the last time.
How to do it
- Wait for the two count-in clicks; the piano plays the first phrase alone, then plays along with you.
- Leap straight from the root to the octave on the second note and land on it cleanly.
- Sing every tile on “lah,” keeping the polonaise rhythm crisp: short notes short, the quarter notes full.
- In the second half, hold the long first note of each phrase steady, then sing the phrase the same way each time.
- On the last phrase, dip to the note just below the root before you finish on the root.
Coach's tip: Aim the opening octave leap straight at the top note, without sliding up. In the second half, hold the long first note of each phrase steady and sing the repeated phrase the same way every time.
What to watch out for
The octave leap at the start is often scooped or lands flat, so aim the top note before you sing it. The descending line right after it tends to rush. The four repeated phrases in the second half drift lower with each repetition; listen to the piano and keep them at the same pitch. The final dip below the root is a half step, so keep it close. Stop if the top feels pushed.
Who it's for
Level 2, for singers with a comfortable octave plus a half step below the root. Prepare with Octave leap 1-8-1 and Major scale (octave). No program lists it. The daily training brings it up more often if you chose the Classical & choir style. It suits the end of a main block.
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