1944 – 27th Segment: “The Murmur of the Rain”

In this series we present 100 songs which have gone down in the history of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic. They became widely popular, were played during important time periods, and some even won the hit parade of the year. Today we introduce the year 1944.

Jiřina Salačová

In the past segments of our series we mentioned that beginning in 1941, dancing was prohibited in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. The ban impacted the work of orchestras and bands, who then took the liberty of creating more challenging, less dance oriented repertoires.

Bands also began to include chansons in their programs. For singers who formerly specialized in dance music, this was a good opportunity for fulfillment and to further develop their talents.

In June 1944, an interesting trio came together to make the chanson, “The Murmur of the Rain.” This was the work of the novice poet Jiří Mládek, the aspiring pharmacist Václav Pokorný (who due to the closure of all universities by the Nazi occupants, was unable to finish his studies), and the even younger Jiřina Salačová.

This humble musical score brought with it an unusual, slightly dreamy four-tone clarinet, along with a very impressive melody and poetic text.

During this time, the Nazi presence in the region managed to dim societies hope for a better future. Nevertheless, the chanson “The Murmur of the Rain” stands out as a clear testimony of the hidden feelings of the young protectorate generation. It was a difficult time and music helped everywhere that it could.