London's KlezFest and Ot Azoy! flying high
posted 11 October 2006

JMI Ashkenazi summer schools go from strength to strength

In its sixth year, KlezFest London and Ot Azoy! the Yiddish Crash Course are now firmly established on the world scene as highly intensive week-long courses with distinguished and inspirational faculty members. This year (2006) 82 instrumentalists and 35 singers from the UK, Europe and further afield came together to share and delve deep into the Jewish cultural heritage. Aged from 12 to 92 they danced and sang and played together from early morning till late at night.

KlezFest began with a grand open air Klezmer Festival in Regent's Park on Sunday afternoon, where JMI's Laoise Davidson arranged a non-stop energetic programme of bands, and singers on the bandstand. The audience was kept involved – learning a Nigun from Shura Lipovsky, learning Yiddish circle dances led by Andreas Schmitges and being taught a Klezmer tune, having brought instruments ranging from a bassoon to a chocolate tin with a stick to beat it.  KlezFest ended with a communal Shabbes celebration of nigunim and instrumental music followed by a Kiddush and a concert by the fabulous Naye Khovitchi Klezmer Rock Band whose members had travelled all the way in a minibus from Russia

JMI is very grateful to our sponsors who helped to fund this vital programme and to the Volunteers and Staff especially Barbara Rosenberg and Yvonne Glass who helped to make it run so smoothly.  We thank those who contributed to the scholarship funds. These also helped to bring outstanding musicians >from the Former Soviet Union who both enriched our programme and learned so much to take back to their communities – which for so long were denied any Jewish culture. This year KlezFest and Ot Azoy! were part of a European Yiddish and Klezmer Academy in partnership with Paris, Weimar and Vilnius and for which Gilles Rozier of the Yiddish Centre in Paris was successful in obtaining an EU grant.

Comments below will give you more of a flavour:

'At KlezFest this year I enjoyed a near non-stop schedule of singing, dancing, playing, jamming, learning, eating and drinking. As I tailored the lessons on offer to suit me - ie mix and matching between Song School and KlezFest – I was able to get the most out of the week and take away not only a wealth of new music and techniques, but also a renewed outlook on life and music in general. The extent of the knowledge, skill and energy displayed by all members of the faculty has once again been awe-inspiring and is unquestionably the key to the events success. Living in the rural setting of Devon the chance to throw myself into such a hotbed of culture is hugely important and something I am hugely grateful for. Thank you'. (Harry Hornsey, Devon) Score out of 10?  10 

'The week was dramatically important to me.  As you said it would, it fed my soul, in all the ways that I certainly needed and always want. I learned, danced, sang, played my instrument, played in ensembles. I didn’t know ahead of time how I’d take to the long hours but I could have gone on and on. Really!! I met fabulous people and spent quality time in structured and unstructured settings. Plus it was FUN FUN FUN! There is no higher compliment than ‘fed my soul’.  What is more important than that?' (Judy Kleppel, Philadelphia). Score out of 10?  10

'Again I like to say thousand thanks for this wonderful week! I can't play Klezmer at all well – but I now know how to practice!  This week with its warm and friendly mood, the brilliant faculty and your warm-hearted leadership is a touching memory.' (Christian Strupp, Dortmund) Score out of 10?  10

'Very enjoyable week of learning and playing more klezmer music and sharing the enthusiasm of others – teachers and students.'  (Andrew Gardiner, Edinburgh)
 Score out of 10? 9  
 
'I felt that the admin was excellent and the structure about right for the Song School. Some people wanted the singing to be more individual or grouped by experience.  I found the group singing to be the core of the course and having people of different levels of singing experience an advantage in creating a ruach of being part of a group. The downside is that some people sing very well and read music perfectly, whereas others have the opposite qualities. This does not matter as much as one might think when one has a teacher of the quality of Shura and surely the enthusiastic should not be deterred. To sum up - overall as brilliant as always.  Just a few minor points, as above.'  (Ian Kay, London)

2006 Programme and Faculty

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