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Performance time and information about performers 13.00 - Neshama For more information or to book any of the above performers and bands for events and functions, please contact the Jewish Music Institute on 020 8909 2445 or contact us by email: Jewish Music at JMI dot org dot uk
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Sol Bernstein AKA Steve Jameson. |
Mark Maier British Jewish Comedian |
Laoise Davidson Head of Communications JMI |
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13.00
- 13.20 Neshama has been performing at Weddings and Bar/Batmitzvahs for over 15 years and has travelled all over the country and abroad. As one of the UK's best known Wedding bands, Neshama has worked with some of the finest musicians and vocalists in the business, and covers a wide range of Jewish music (Chassidic, Israeli, Sefardi, Klezmer etc) as well as other genres (soul, swing etc) There has been a surge in interest in Jewish music at Simchas, even from less religious sectors of the community. One of the great things about playing 'Simcha' music at parties is that you don't need a partner to dance to it! So please feel free to dance!
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13.30
- 13.50 Cantor Steven
Leas Cantor Jonathan
Murgraff Cantor Gedalya
Alexander London Jewish
Male Choir (LJMC) Founded in 1926, the choir developed a reputation of excellence first under the founding conductor Isadore Berman, then after the war Martin White and famously Manny Fisher who took the choir to new heights. This year the choir is celebrating 80 years of singing, and their latest album '80 Years' was released by ARC Music in July. The choir is currently enjoying a renewal with a young dynamic Musical Director, Michael Etherton, the addition of fresh modern repertoire and several new singing talents including Cantor Steven Leas. In 2004, the choir appeared at Wembley Conference Centre and promoted a sell-out concert at the new ArtsDepot venue with the four piece group Shir. In January 2005 the choir toured Florida to packed houses, performing with leading cantors including, Moshe Schulhof, Gideon Zelermyer and Benjamin Warschawski. Throughout the years, the LJMC has travelled extensively around the UK and has performed in London's most prestigious concert halls, including the Royal Festival Hall, The Royal Albert Hall, The Wigmore Hall and St. John's Smith Square. The choir regularly appears on TV and radio most recently featuring in Because I Sing broadcast on Channel 4. Internationally the choir has sung in Israel, US, Germany, South Africa, Poland and Belgium.
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| 13.55
- 14.15 She'Koyokh Klezmer Ensemble |
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Markovitch - Accordian Frazer Watson - Poyk, Darbucka Meg Hamilton - Violin Robin Harris - Trombone Matt Bacon - Guitar Susi Evans - Clarinet Oliver Baldwin - Double Bass |
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She'Koyokh Klezmer Ensemble is a group of young London-based professional musicians from culturally diverse backgrounds dedicated to performing Eastern European folk music, employing ornaments, phrasing and rhythms specific to a variety of national folk styles. They bring a fresh, passionate energy to an extensive repertoire of Ashkenazi Jewish melodies once played in the Shtetls of countries such as Poland, Romania and the Ukraine. They also perform folk music of related Balkan, Greek and Turkish origin. Since their establishment in 2002, the band has toured the UK, playing at Glastonbury Festival, Chichester, Bath and Swaledale Music Festivals, the Royal Academy of Music in London, and London's Battersea Arts Centre and National Theatre. She'koyokh Klezmer Ensemble made their Southbank debut at London's Queen Elizabeth Hall in 2004, when the Jewish Music Institute invited them to premiere a Klezmer concerto by Jewish composer Rohan Kriwaczeck, She'Koyokh has played live on Radio 4, appeared on ITV as the wedding band in the recent series of Fat Friends. She'Koyokh has given concerts and workshops in special needs schools, hospitals, village halls and prisons all over the South of England, Norfolk, Yorkshire and Northern Ireland in association with Yehudi Menuhin's Live Music Now! Scheme. The band has performed in California, Spain, France, Denmark, the annual Jewish Cultural Festival in Krakow and on Czech national radio and television. She'Koyokh can also be heard playing at Bar Mitzvahs, Jewish and non-Jewish weddings, all kinds of parties, and out busking in London's East End at weekends. |
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Geraldine Auerbach (MBE), the tireless and formidable Director and Founder of the Jewish Music Institute, will introduce special guest Deputy Mayor Nicky Gavron to officially open the event. The Chairman of the Jewish Music Institute and leading Jewish Cultural spokesperson Walter Goldsmith will also address the Square to emphasise the importance of Jewish Culture as part of London's multicultural heritage. Short speeches will be followed by a communal Shofar Blast. Bring Your Shofar! For a list of all shofar blowers, click here...
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14.40
- 14.55 Their repertoire includes upbeat, modern liturgical settings, Yiddish songs, Israeli folk songs, a whole programme of Holocaust settings especially designed for the travelling Anne Frank Exhibition and pieces written for and dedicated to the choir. The choir is open to Jewish children of all denominations between the ages of 8 and 18. Rehearsals are on Wednesdays in Alyth Gardens, Golders Green, 5:30 - 7:00 for the Junior choir (8 - 12 year olds) and 6:30 - 8:00 for the Senior choir (13 - 18 year olds).
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| 15.05
- 15.25 Rivers of Babylon directed by Sara Manasseh, with guest dancer Deborah Rosenberg Sara Manasseh (director,
voice, dumbuk: drum) This London-based
group of singers and instrumentalists was formed in 1999 by Sara Manasseh.
The group has a wide repertoire: Iraqi-Jewish, Iraqi Arabic, Bene Israel,
vintage Bollywood and Israeli songs, in addition to instrumental items.
Its main focus is Songs of Praise (shbahoth) in the Jewish-Babylonian
(Iraqi) tradition - sociable songs often sung at festive meals for annual
cycles (Sabbaths, festivals), life cycles (wedding, birth of a child,
etc), or pilgrimages to holy tombs (Ezekiel the Prophet at Hillah and
Ezra the Scribe near Basra, Iraq). The group has been featured in BBC
World Service broadcasts, and recently completed a much applauded and
successful seven-city tour of India (February 2005).
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| 15.30
- 15.45 Mor Karbasi Mor Karbasi - Vocals Joe Taylor - Guitar The young, beautiful AND talented Mor Karbasi, recently settled in the UK, has been writing new songs in this almost-lost language for several years. Mor heard Ladino first at the age of 16 and was drawn to the language due to her own Moroccan Sephardi roots. |
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| Mrs Matilda Cohen Sarano helped her translate her songs into Ladino and Mor's mother also wrote some of the songs that Mor sings with such elegance and raw emotion. One song in particular, Judia, was written after Mor returned from visiting Auschwitz in Poland and moved by this experience it was dedicated to the memory of the Ladino Jewish communities that were murdered in the Holocaust. |
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Mor also performs old Ladino folk songs including Morenica mi me Yaman, Noches Noches and Yo en la prizion. She is influenced by the Ladino singers Ester Ofarim and Yasmin Levy, as well as Yasmin's father Isaac Levy who collected many songs that have become well known today. Mor currently performs her songs with guitarist Joe Taylor in venues and festivals around London and the UK including JMI's KlezFest in the Park in Regents Park in August 2006.
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| 15.50
- 16.10 Oranim and Nitzanim IDI offers a vibrant performance of colourful dance and music reflecting the different influences which make up the Jewish cultural mosaic - Chassidic dance from Eastern Europe; oriental dance from Yemen and dance influenced by Arab, Druze and Armenian culture; dances of the pioneers, and others reflecting modern Israeli themes, the beauty of the land and the joy of youth. ORANIM has performed at the Royal Festival Hall; Queen Elizabeth Hall; Alexandra Palace; the World Travel Market;at the Jewish Music Institute Culture Day at the Millennium Dome and for Alternative Arts plus many community relation and multicultural events and Jewish communal events. It has appeared on Sky Television and regularly entertains at barmitzvah, batmitzvah and wedding celebrations. ORANIM has also undertaken special performance workshops with the National Theatre and Royal Shakespeare Company for productions involving "Jewish" dance. IDI's troupes aim to engender in their audiences a love for Jewish dance that knows no boundaries of politics, religion, race or culture. Its members are drawn from dance enthusiasts who study or work in the London area. |
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16.00
- 16.05 @ Admiralty Arch Jewish Lads and Girls Brigade The Jewish Lads' and Girls' Brigade (JLGB) is a national Jewish Youth Movement found in virtually every Jewish area of the UK. Founded by colonel Albert Goldsmid in 1895, 111 years ago, it was originally intended to provide an interest for children of poor immigrant families flocking to London's East End at that time. The organisation grew across the UK and spread to South Africa and Canada. JLGB offers young people a variety of activities from music bands to sports and other hobbies throughout the year as well as a programme of weekend, summer and winter camps. The aim of JLGB is to challenge youngsters, whether on the sports field, in learning musical instruments or acquiring new skills, but always with an emphasis on having fun. JLGB Bands offer something quite unique; the chance to learn an instrument and to play music with Jewish young people nationwide. JLGB Bands perform all over the country throughout the year at some very special venues and even in front of Royalty. JLGB says: If you already play an instrument you will feel at home and be able to play exciting music and make lots of new friends. If you've never played an instrument before then why not give it a go? We will teach you from scratch, and within a short time you will be impressing your family and friends with your new talent. |
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| 16.30
- 16.50 Ronnie Scott Legacy Band John Critchinson - piano. Pat Crumly - saxophones and flute. Tim Wells - double bass. Mark Fletcher - drums. The band originally
came together for the Christmas 1996 season at Ronnie Scott's Club in
London shortly before Ronnie's death. John and saxophonist Pat Crumly
felt that the Quartet could convey to the many fans away from London
and the Club the true legacy of Jewish East End born Ronnie Scott -
GOOD MUSIC, GOOD TASTE with GOOD HUMOUR - so consequently, from the
summer of 1997 and until 2002 they toured the UK several times (in 2001
they played a sell-out tour of New Zealand),. After a brief spell of
inactivity the Quartet last year resumed playing selected gigs around
the UK under the banner of 'Ronnie Remembered - A Tribute to Ronnie
Scott') and has reissued a CD JAZZIZIT called Ronnie Remembered. The
response has been such that they are now booking dates through 2007. |
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17.00
- 17.15 Ancient Sephardic songs of love, passion and celebration are brought to life for a modern audience by London-based sextet Los Desterrados. Flamenco, tango and passionate gypsy rhythms blend with the exotic harmonies of traditional eastern instruments and oriental beats creating a unique sound that has earned critical acclaim. The music of Los Desterrados comes from the Jewish communities expelled from Spain in 1492, taking with them heart-wrenching refrains of love and marriage; war and separation; persecution and devotion. What you hear in these songs is the folk history of a wandering people sung in Ladino, their language, reinvigorated by vibrant new arrangements. To see Los Desterrados
in concert is to share an ancient tradition; an exhilarating celebration
of life and a captivating musical experience that at once echoes civilisations
of the past and beckons those of the future. |
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17.25
- 18.05 Sophie Solomon began playing the violin at the age of two and the violin became her life. While studying History and Russian at Oxford University, Sophie not only DJed drum'n'bass, but also developed a passion for other kinds of music such as Russian, klezmer, East European and gypsy styles. Sophie's experiences led in 1999 to her becoming a founder member of Oi Va Voi, "one of the most exciting bands in Britain today" (Daily Telegraph). Famed for their live appearances and Sophie's on-stage pyrotechnics (one critic dubbed her 'the Keith Richards of the violin'), the band's debut album 'Laughter Through Tears' received rave reviews, was voted in the top 10 albums of 2004 by the New York Times, and won them two nominations in BBC Radio 3's annual awards for world music. |
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Sophie became increasingly in-demand, lending her violin playing to the likes of Rufus Wainwright, Heather Nova and Theodor Bikel. Sophie collaborated with Canadian hip-hop producer Socalled on the JMI Millennium Award Scheme funded album 'Solomon & Socalled's HipHopKhasene' (released on the German-based Piranha label) which won the German Record Critics' Award for Album of the Year 2004. She has also taught Klezmer for the Jewish Music Institute at London's School for Oriental and African Studies and is on the artistic advisory committee of the Genius of the Violin festival, the only such event in the world devoted entirely to the instrument. | |
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Now embarking on
her solo career, her unique musical vision reaches its full flowering
on her self-composed Decca debut solo album 'Poison Sweet Madeira',
an audacious mix of different styles and influences given purpose and
unity by her extraordinary violin playing. It's a record that defies
categorisation as classical influences collide gloriously with world
music flavours drawn from Russia, Eastern Europe, North Africa, gypsy
music, tango and klezmer to create a vibrant musical portrait of one
of the most adventurous artists of our time. |
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| 18.15
- 18.30 The Sound and Light Cinematic Duo Merlin Shepherd - Clarinet, Bass Clarinet Polina Shepherd - Piano Merlin Shepherd is a clarinetist who specialises in the Jewish instrumental folk music of Eastern Europe commonly known as "Klezmer. He has been Musical Director for The Royal National Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company and Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, London. He was also Klezmer Advisor for the Royal Shakespeare Company for their 1992 production of Anski's "The Dybbuk". He works as Music Co-ordinator for KlezCamp, KlezFest London and has taught at KlezFest St Petersburg, KlezFest Ukraine and KlezCanada. He is one of the world's leading players of traditional East European Klezmer Clarinet style, and apart from his own ensembles he has worked and toured throughout Britain and Europe with Budowitz, Frank London's Klezmer Brass Allstars and the Burning Bush. |
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| Polina is an accomplished composer, singer, pianist and the leading choral conductor of Yiddish song in the former USSR. She has performed and taught internationally. Her specially developed choral teaching methods are based on instrumental ornamentation and Jewish modes. She performs with her own a capella ensemble, 'The Vocal Quartet Ahkenazim' Polina's music is performed by choirs and soloists all over the world. |  |
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Merlin and Polina Shepherd represent two nations although their families come from very close geographical locations. By transportation backwards in time with this historically accurate visual and aural experience, these two world class musicians bring their audiences forward to a deeper understanding of present and latter day Yiddishkeit. Together they have
developed The Sound and Light Cinematic Duo, performing new and traditional
Jewish music to accompany the Yuri Morozov Jewish Film Archive of Kiev
which contains some of the earliest cinematic representations of East
European Jewish communities and more. Black and White silent films as
early as 1910 depict the Jews of Ukraine and their daily lives in both
narrative and documentary forms. Many of these films have never been
seen outside of Ukraine and some have not been screened for over 80
years. |
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18.30
- 18.45 |
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Expect a lot of craziness from the boys as they show off their considerable musical and klezmer skills while cartwheeling, crawling, playfighting and jumping around on the stage. Led by playful (and sometimes a little crazy) vocalist Vanya Zhuk, they turn yiddish songs on their head and even do Klezmer covers of Rolling Stones hits. Exploring and exploiting their roots in Ashkenaz, Russian and Soviet traditions Nayekhovichi create a special sonic borsht extremely in-demand for underground Bar Mitzvahs in the Kremlin. |
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| Last edited 13/09/2006 @ 17.30 LD | ||
