Jewish Music Courses
Classes, Workshops, Summer Schools and Conferences

2010

New East European Choir at UCL
led by Brighton based Polina Shepherd
starting Spring 2010,
Come and experience Russian lyrical and epic songs, ritual calendar singing for pagan holidays, wedding songs and weeping songs, also Jewish songs in Yiddish and Niggunim (wordless songs). Music lovers of all backgrounds and singing levels are welcome, and no previous singing experience or knowledge of languages is necessary. All teaching will be done by ear but sheet music will be available. The main focus of this season will be on Russian, Yiddish and some Ukrainian songs, possibly Bulgarian and Macedonian songs too.
Polina is a composer, singer, pianist and the leading Jewish choir leader of the Former USSR. She has performed internationally. Her grandfather, a veteran of the Second World War, played bayan (button accordion) and her mother, a professional singer, would often sing for hours while Polina listened as a child, learning deeply rooted Jewish and Russian traditions throughout her childhood years. Her training at Kazan State Music college and then Conservatory gave her an academic perspective. Polina is a highly experienced international workshop leader and Natural Voice practitioner in the UK.
The Choir leading will be shared with Evgenia Georgieva (TBC), a Bulgarian folk singer and choir leader.
Thursdays 18.00 – 19.20. £5 (pay on the day) Contact: Ashkenazim@mail.ru
University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6B

World Music Summer School at SOAS
JMI KlezFest London
Sunday 1 - Friday 13 August 2010
Learn Yiddish… Sing Yiddish… Play Klezmer… Dance…
Intensive, weeklong programmes include Ot Azoy! – a crash course to speak, read and write Yiddish (four levels) and KlezFest – workshops in Eastern European Jewish music, song and dance. For professional and enthusiast players (grade 5+), singers and dancers, from classical and folk backgrounds. Dedicated song and dance sessions all day. Bands welcome.
Internationally acclaimed teachers and performers led by Frank London of Klezmatics fame
New this year – Tumbala! a two week song course. 
Four public concerts Booking open at www.ticketweb.co.uk
“A heart-warming experience – exhilarating, fantastic and fun.”  
Register online  

JMI Klezmer Classes at SOAS 2010/11

Begin again in autumn 2010, Tuesdays 7.00 – 8.30pm at SOAS. Contact francesca@jmi.org.uk for details.

Previous Courses include:

Hilda Bronstein and ‘All Things Jewish’ at EDRS (in association with JMI) present Sing Your Roots
start also on a Tuesday on 13 October in Edgware with Hilda Bronstein  Contact Hilda via song@jmi.org.uk to join.   Yiddish (and some Ladino) Song Workshops For all who love to singTuesday evenings 7.30 – 9.30pm 13th October to 8th December 2009 inclusive – do the full course or one-off sessions – take your pick
Edgware and District Reform Synagogue 18 Stonegrove, Edgware HA6 8AB

Previous participants have called the Yiddish workshop experience 'enriching', 'uplifting', 'heart-warming', 'confidence building' and 'a chance to build my skills in a supportive environment'.
Hilda Bronstein is a qualified singing teacher with Diplomas from the Royal College and Royal Academy of Music. She was director of the JMI Jewish Song School from 2005-2008 and was recently awarded the Mira Rafalowicz Prize for Best Yiddish Song Interpretation at the prestigious International Jewish Music Festival in Amsterdam. Monica Acosta, who will lead the Ladino sessions, has an MA in Contemporary Vocal Repertoire and is a well-known singer and teacher of Sephardic music.

Jewish Music in Britain
An exciting 10 week course at City Lit, Keeley Street WC2B 4BA
Presented by Dr Malcolm Miller
Friday mornings 11am – 1pm, beginning on Friday 25 September 2009.
This course will explore the wealth of musical styles, secular and sacred, produced by Jewish immigrants and by their descendants from the time of Henry VIII. We will look at music based on ancient traditions and music that reflects the varied experience of the Jewish Diasporas, as well as the rich repertoires of art music composed by British Jewish composers and performers from the 16th to the 21st centuries.

This year special topics include:

• The Shofar in British Contemporary Music
• Synagogue Music since the 17th century
• Isaac Nathan and The first Hebrew Art Music
• Jewish Composers and Performers of the 18th and 19th centuries
• 20th British émigré composers
• Contemporary Jewish British Composers
• Bloch in Britain
• British and Israeli Musical Dialogues
• Klezmer, Yiddish and Ladino Revival

Further information and booking, call City Lit  020 7831 7831, or the City Lit Music Dept : 020 7491 2630 or visit website at www.citylit.ac.uk  Quote Course MD 035

Summer 2009

4th European Cantors Convention (click for more info)

Sunday 5 – Wednesday 8 July

Special Guest Cantor Moshe Schulhoff, Florida
A four-day gathering for those involved in synagogue music to meet colleagues, compare notes, learn/ brush-up/ develop/ skills and learn new music guaranteed to enhance services.

Tuesday Klezmer evening classes @ SOAS
Summer Term 5 classes fortnightly
April 21,  May 5, 19, June 2, 16
Tutor Ilana Cravitz
5 classes paid in advance: £50 (concs £35). Per class charge: £12/£8
Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square London WC1X 0EG
Contact Francesca@jmi.org.uk to book
For a registration form click here

Jewish Song Schools
Contact Hilda Bronstein for more information

August 2009
KlezFest London Summer Schools 2009
2 - 14 August
Includes KlezFest and Ot Azoy!

July 2008
Judith Cohen Sephardi music workshop
23 July, 6 - 9pm, Room G50 SOAS, London

Rona Kenan Workshop
8 July, 6 - 9pm, Room G3 SOAS, London

August 2008
KlezFest London Summer Schools 2008
10 - 22 August
Includes KlezFest and Ot Azoy!

April 2008
'Exile Music' Conference and Concerts
9-11 April, London

March 2008
Wild Wind Weekend at Liverpool University
9-10 March, Liverpool

Jewish Song School at SOAS Spring Term 2008
Thursday Evenings, Starting 03 January
SOAS - University of London

October 2007

Klezmer Classes at SOAS 2007/08
Tuesday evenings, starting 9 October
SOAS - University of London

Jewish Song School at SOAS 2007/08
Thursday Evenings, Starting 11 October
SOAS - University of London

Jewish Song School at EDRS 2007
Tuesday Evenings, Starting 09 October
Edgware and District Reform Synagogue

September 2007
Jewish Song School Sing Along and Taster Session
Tuesday 4 September
SOAS - University of London

August 2007
Jewish Music Summer Schools 2007
KlezFest 12—17 August
Jewish Song Summer School 12—17 August
Ot Azoy! Yiddish Crash Course 19 – 24 August

July 2007
Ernest Bloch (1880–1959)
Jubilee International Conference and Festival
Commemorating the 50th anniversary of his death.
Fitzwilliam College Cambridge University
Sunday 29 July – Tuesday 31 July 2007

Progressive Summer Schools: Shalosh R'galim –Three Pilgrim Festivals. A four-day intensive workshop for synagogue musicians on the music of Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot.
Monday 2 July – Thursday 5 July 2007 Daily 10.30am – 5.30pm

Starting October 2006
Klezmer Classes @ SOAS 2006/7, Tuesday Evenings
Jewish Song School 2006/07. Thursday Evenings

August 2006
Jewish Music Summer Schools 2006
Ot Azoy! Yiddish Crash Course 6—11 August
KlezFest 13—18 August
Jewish Song Summer School 13—18 August

July 2006
Sephardi Song Workshop with Judith Cohen
Wednesday 12 July 2006, 7.00pm – 9.00pm

June 2006
JMI Cantorial Summer School 2006: The Sabbath in the Progressive Tradition and First European Cantors Convention
Sunday 18 June—Wednesday 21 June 2006

February/March 2006
JMI Fridays. A series of illustrated lunchtime lectures at SOAS
10 February — 17 March 2006

Starting September 2005
Jewish Song School 2005/06. Thursday Evenings
Klezmer Classes 2005/06
Yiddish Classes and Activities in London

July 2005

Ot Azoy! This is the way ... to speak, read and write Yiddish
Sunday 17–Friday 22 July 2005

Jewish Song Summer School
Sunday 10–Friday 15 July 2005

KlezFest 2005
Sunday 10–Friday 15 July 2005

June 2005

JMI Cantorial Summer School
Monday 27 June–Friday 1 July 2005

JMI Barry Weinberg Jewish Choral Festival
Monday 20 June–Sunday 3 July 2005

Starting January 18

Klezmer evening classes and jams
Tuesday or Thursday evening classes at SOAS

updated 17 June 2008