Thinking of coming to JMI Summer Schools this year? Laoise Davidson tells you why you should come
posted 21 May 2005

It's official – Frank London and The Klezmatics – yes all of them are coming to London to be the core of the KlezFest faculty 10-15 July 2005. New York’s Klezmatics will join other stalwarts on the Faculty of JMI KlezFest London for a week of mind-blowing and sky-scraping musical experience.

As anyone clued into the Jewish music revival scene will tell you, these guys are THE top of the klezmer pile. In fact t his means that it is going to be an extraordinary KlezFest in London . The school has also been graced with the humungous talent of members of Brave Old World and this year we have the incomparable Michael Alpert (song dance and fiddle) and other klezmer luminaries such as Jeff Warschauer (plucked strings), Deborah Strauss (violin)New York and Josh Dolgin from Canada . From Europe there is the glorious Shura Lipovskyfrom Amsterdam leading the Jewish Song Summer School with Yiddish songs and Jacinta from Paris teaching Judeo-Spanish songs to make your soul soar. We also have a few Brits namely, Merlin Shepherd the magic clarinettist and Sophie Solomon, the f iddle s orceress and Polina Achkenazi-Shepherd, with her amazing vocal arrangements . Now we have Frank London(trumpet and Brass) and his mob Lisa Gutkin (Violin), Lorin Sklamberg (accordion and Vocal), Matt Darriau (reeds) Paul Morrissett (bass and Tsimbl) David Licht (drums) coming so who can tell what exciting things will happen…

Well, I can give you a few clues.
On the first day, a Sunday 10 July, there will be this huge party in Regent’ s Park where we have hundreds of people learning a Klezmer tune, there will be lots of bands and dancing in the sun. Then we have a week packed with hands-on classes and workshops with instrumental and ensemble tuition covering the key motifs of the Klezmer Style. If you don't already know how to ‘ Krechts’ , you surely will by the end of the week!!! And for the masters of Krechts, the faculty will invent new and wondrous ways for you to sound even more Jewish on your instrument!

In the evenings there will be showcases of some of the up-and-coming bands who have come through KlezFest or who already thrash out a pretty good bulgar or two, plus dancing and jamming the night away for those who don't mind missing a bit of sleep for a week.

So, if you have an old instrument up in your loft that you haven’t touched in a few years, or you play regularly, this is the place to inspire you. Any instrument is welcome provided you know how to use it. We will do the rest.

Jewish Song Summer School

For those whose voice is their instrument we have a dedicated parallel song programme exploring not only Yiddish but also Ladino material. You will learn a wide repertoire and be guided in the history, pronunciation and interpretation of the songs of the Jewish experience. There will be special emphasis on Yiddish folk and theatre songs: melodically haunting, echoing the motifs of the Synagogue and lyrically strong, with hard-hitting protest words and gentle lullabies. Teachers will be Lorin Sklamberg, the Klezmatics Yiddish song expert and Michael Alpert a specialist in traditional Yiddish song styles. Shura Lipovsky from Amsterdam, with her guitar, is the Programme Director, with help from Ruti Halvani, (who directs the term-time JMI Jewish Song School). Special guest teacher this year will be Jacinta from Paris, an expert on both Yiddish and Ladino song giving special classes in Judeo-Spanish songs; Polina Achkenazi-Shepherd will accompany the singers in her keenly sensitive style and conduct vocal ensembles. Judith Silver will also bring her special brand of acapella singing. An opportunity to imbibe what you cannot pick up just from sheet music or recordings. Song school students also get to join the dance sessions and evening showcases and jams with Frank London, the Klezmatics and all the instrumentalists at KlezFest.

Students at KlezFest and the Song School get to have ringside seats at the Queen Elizabeth Hall for Klezmer Klimax III on Wednesday 13 July at 7.45pm. This is the third superb KlezFest faculty concert where we get to hear the world’s most famous exponents of the genre. Fronted this year by Frank London and the Klezmatics all faculty members will perform in this ultimate klezmer event.

It’s a hectic week which could change your life. Well it changed mine! It was after doing KlezFest that I ended up working for JMI!’

Ot Azoy! Yiddish Crash Course . If you really can’ t play an instrument or sing at all and are therefore not even sure why you have just read up to this point, you will now be glad you did! Because this is your chance to jump on the Yiddish Revival Bandwagon. ‘ Ot Azoy’ means ‘This is the way’ - to learn Yiddish, quickly and easily, and with lots of fun in a warm friendly environment, right in the heart of London. And you will also learn Yiddish through song and watch Yiddish films. This course is for complete beginners – we will teach you the Hebrew alphabet – right up to intermediate-plus standards. We even help you with your homework! This is the chance you might have been longing for - to try it out - the place where you could be speaking, reading and writing Yiddish in just one week! (I f you don't, please don't expect your money back!) This course is especially welcomed by those who sing Yiddish songs who attend both KlezFest and Ot Azoy! Khayele Beer of University College London directs the course and has chosen some of the most delightful teachers in the world,Sonya Pinkusowitz and Peysakh Fiszman to work with you. Y ou will learn the basic elements and start to build a vocabulary of Yiddish and get a good idea of grammar and syntax.

More details from the Jewish Music Institute
Tel 020 8909 2445 Fax 020 8909 1030

Registration forms

Dates:
KlezFest: Sunday 10–Friday 15 July
Jewish Song Summer School: Sunday 10–Friday 15 July 2005
Ot Azoy! (Yiddish crash course): Sunday 17–Friday 22 July 2005