JEWISH MUSIC INSTITUTE - Ashkenazi Music




Ashkenazi Music 'Ashkenazi' (Hebrew for 'Germany') refers to the Jews who settled in the Rhineland of South West Germany and Northern France from about the third century CE. They developed a distinct culture and spread out eastwards through Central Europe into Slavic lands. Ashkenazi cantorial song reached a very high level of sophistication and ornamentation. The vernacular language was Yiddish, based on medieval German with Slavic and Hebrew words and written in Hebrew script. Yiddish language influenced their popular music. Yiddish language and music travelled with Ashkenazi Jews as they moved to the new world. A musician was called a 'klezmer' and 'klezmer music' and Yiddish song are popular genres taught by JMI today. Click the links on the right for more information about Klezmer and Yiddish and related activities. Learn Yiddish and Klezmer in and around London. Klezmer and Yiddish activity in the North. for further details contact klezmernorth@jmi.org.uk Read an article about Klezmer up North last modified: January 28, 2010		Ashkenazi Links Ashkenazi music home page What is Klezmer? What is Yiddish? KlezFest London Ot Azoy - Yiddish Crash Course Yiddish and Klezmer in London Yiddish and Klezmer in the North Klezmer and Yiddish Events Yiddish and Klezmer Articles Request a Klezmer Teacher The Jim Marcovitch Klezmer Fund Publications The International Forum for Yiddish Culture (IFYC)


The Jewish Music Institute is an independent Arts organisation based at SOAS, University of London. It is an international focus bringing the ancient yet contemporary musical culture of the Jews to the mainstream British cultural, academic and social life. Its programmes of education, performance and information highlight many aspects of Jewish music throughout the ages and across the globe for people of all ages, backgrounds and cultures.