Programme Outline 2010 for
KlezFest /Song School/ Dance Strand
modified January 14, 2010

In general, KlezFest London: with music, song and dance has as its main mission to be a fountain of knowledge of the tradition – giving all who seek it a good grounding in the repertoire, rhythm, style, ornamentation and context of klezmer music and Yiddish song and dance. It will also provide context of where it all comes from and how it developed in an atmosphere of intense activity, inspiration and pleasure.  It can also be a springboard for new creativity.



Christian and Ilya listen to a clarinet solo.

Emphasis this yearwill be on context – as well as on outcomes and on empowering the participants to have more purchase on what they learn. We aim to provide a clear framework, easy to navigate that will yet leave scope for flexibility within it.  

Faculty will devise sessions that continue and build over the week. We make sure there is solid grounding for Klezmer ‘virgins’ and that those with lots of experience are taken further into the genre.  Examples of music and song will be on the website when you register so you can start to get to grips with it right away – so you can download these tunes and practice them both by ear and looking at the notes. This will give an instant common repertoire for jams.
This year by popular request – and for the first time there will be plenary sessions where instrumentalists will combine with singers and dancers. Frank London will lead the big orchestra who will work with Polina’s choir – that everyone can participate in – or dance to.

Andreas Schmitges leading the dance

There will also be a massed percussion session – so bring something to bang. The final student concert will be in the form of an Eastern European Jewish Wedding.

Instrumental sessions led by Frank London with colleagues Michael Alpert, Deborah Strauss, Jeff Warschauer, Ilana Cravitz, Paul Tkachenko, Guy Schalom, Sophie Solomon, Abigail Wood and Ros Hawley will concentrate on instrumental technique and how to play as part of an ensemble. All the time repertoire will be added to. There will be masterclasses for bands and a place for smaller – and quieter ensembles. A particularly important aspect will be a course on How to Teach Klezmer and run workshops – something that proved very popular last year and was excellently devised and run by Ilana Cravitz and Ros Hawley. This is very much needed today as we all try to take klezmer out to the community and to music clubs arts venues schools and colleges. Singers, guided by Polina Shepherd, Shura Lipovsky, Michael Alpert, Hilda Bronstein, for Yiddish, will concentrate on repertoire and presentation of Yiddish song, with work on the context and history of the songs. There will be masterclasses for serious singers and opportunities for all to sing solo if they wish.

We welcome Ilana’s OUP book Klezmer Fiddle - a how to guide as a helpful handbook giving the context; describing the style and ornamentation; and having selected tunes with both scores and a CD.  Each student of instrumental music (who does not already have one) will be given Ilana’s book as part of their packs and it is hoped that faculty will avail themselves of its usefulness and use tunes from the book wherever applicable.  (Simon Carlyle has made transcriptions for B flat instruments that will also be downloadable on the site) We will also provide a book of Yiddish songs for all song school attendees. For Yiddish dance we recommend the Website www.yiddishdance.com

What previous students have said about KlezFest London 
What they found:

1. Six days of challenging, involving, rewarding, music making with a bunch of great people!
2. I found exactly what I was looking for in this Klezfest: a high musical quality, very talented faculty members, very nice organisers
3. A staggeringly impressive, life-changing week
4. Total immersion technique. Very effective.
5. I felt welcomed and stimulated by the creative and nourishing environment
6. It was great fun. I enjoyed every minute of it
7. The best holiday, I spent quality time in structured and unstructured settings
8. wonderful, buzzy atmosphere
9. the friendliest, most open and lively summer school I have attended
10. I felt totally exhilarated by the emotional and musical experience  
11. It’s like a surge of energy that will motivate me for the close future.
12. I am still in an energetic and creative flow three weeks later
13.  dedicated and approachable artists/teachers
14. Fascinating and very intense – both musically and as a way of re-connecting with my family history

What they specially liked: 

1. I loved the near non-stop schedule of singing, dancing, playing, jamming, learning, eating and drinking.
2. I particularly enjoyed the communal singing at the start of the day. 
3. sharing the enthusiasm of others teachers and students
4. It’s not just about the music, the atmosphere is what draws people as well.
5. Being together with people in a team, a group, sharing a vibe and a feeling.
6. It felt like being surrounded by a warm and loving family! Music was great  
7. The opportunity to work with Frank London was an extraordinary musical experience from me. He IS music!!
8. It has altered my musical boundaries!
9. I like dancing, this allows us to learn what are the rhythms that ground the music.
10. I’m really impressed that give us access to the tunes prior to the course (even though we only used them v marginally in lessons). Hope you can do so again next year. So important when emphasis is very strongly on learning by ear.
11. the teachers mostly both passionate about their music/dance and of a very high standard
12. KlezFest is a truly positive place in hope of a truly positive future

What people came away with:

• I came away uplifted and inspired!
• hugely valuable insight into Jewish music, tradition and culture, which I believe will change my whole approach to music
• not only a wealth of new music and techniques, but also a renewed outlook on life and music in general.
• I made a lot of contacts
• Now I know what I don’t know and what I should know
• tremendously positive impact on my own playing
• I now have a wider range of dances to offer. 
• A new way to play klezmer, to play the violin.
• KlezFest unlocks emotions and stimulates me to carry on playing my instrument.
• expected just music but found culture, history, warmth and friendship
• I got fresh insight, new ideas, improve my technique and enjoy ensemble work with others
• I learnt a lot but it was more about playing with others and working with others
• the potential for us to improve in our own time
• My Klez soul, mayn yiddishe neshama, has been refreshed with such verve, panache and an intensity that is rather rare in my jaded life.

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