‘Manchester Jewish Museum announce a month of klezmer music’
This March, Manchester Jewish Museum will be filled with the joyful, and deeply expressive sounds of klezmer, as it presents Klez-March – a vibrant programme of three special events celebrating traditional Jewish music and its living legacy.
Klezmer is a lively, expressive style of traditional Jewish music that began in the Yiddish-speaking communities of Eastern Europe during the Middle Ages. It was often played at celebrations like weddings and is known for its emotional, almost voice-like melodies. As Jewish communities migrated, especially to the United States, it evolved and is now enjoyed as a global music genre. This March, visitors to Manchester Jewish Museum can not only enjoy live klezmer music but also participate, through three special events.
Joe Davey, Creative Producer at Manchester Jewish Museum said: “What better way to welcome in the spring than with a micro klezmer festival! There will be looking to the past, creating in the present and reimagining for the future with an eclectic mix of musicians, all with strong Manchester connections. Anyone with an interest in folk and classical music will find something to love here.”
On Sunday, 1 March, musicians of all abilities are invited to join the energetic Klezmer Tune Club and KlezJam. Led by Richard Fay and Daniel Mawson of The University of Manchester Klezmer Ensemble, the session will guide participants through klezmer’s rich musical heritage while working collaboratively on new material. Following the workshop, KlezJam offers an informal, open jam session – an inclusive space to play, share tunes, enjoy a brew and connect with fellow musicians. A folk session for all folk.
Daniel Mawson said: “As a music and a culture with a rich interesting history, Klezmer is a great entry point for beginners or improvers, with roles for any and all instruments and abilities. If you come along and play in our supportive community of ‘Klezmorim’, you will challenge yourself to do something new, improve your musical skills, build a repertoire of music, and learn about the intriguing history of an often overlooked world.”
Tickets to Klezmer Tune Club are free but subject to limited capacity.
Then on Thursday, 12 March, the museum will welcome Yoyvl for a powerful and uplifting klezmer concert “Yiddish Revolutionaries: A Forgotten History”. Through song, images, and storytelling, Yoyvl share their story of the history of the Jewish Left, aiming to provide another perspective to the discourse about the European Jewish experience. Beginning in late 19th-century Eastern Europe and travelling through time to present-day Britain, the performance weaves together traditional klezmer music with personal and historical narratives of poverty, resistance, hope and community.
For this special performance, the musicians have been granted access to the museum’s archives, incorporating local Jewish history into the show and deepening its connection to Manchester. Sue Cooper, band member said: “We are particularly excited to include materials from the Manchester Jewish Museum archives in this version of the performance to bring the story closer to home!”
With translated lyrics and evocative imagery projected throughout, the event is accessible to all audiences, whether or not they speak Yiddish.
Finally, on Thursday, 26 March, Anna Lowenstein, one of the UK’s leading klezmer fiddle players, will present her much-anticipated debut album “Through the Walls”. Reimagining Eastern European Jewish folk melodies through the rich textures of a string quartet, Lowenstein performs alongside Flora Curzon (violin), Meg Hamilton (viola) and Francesca Ter-Berg (cello). With energy and warmth, she recreates what she describes as the “sound world” of her childhood, in which the languages of Beethoven, Bartok, Shostakovich commingled with Yiddish music.
The album also incorporates storytelling, interviews and field recordings from Stamford Hill, creating an intimate sonic portrait of community, memory and place.
Anna Lowenstein said: “I’m really excited that Manchester Jewish Museum is part of the album’s first steps out into the world. It’s a fitting space to share music and stories of contemporary, diasporic Jewish life; it’ll be great to be back.”
Tickets to all Klez-March events can be booked via the museum’s website: https://www.manchesterjewishmuseum.com/season/klezmarch/.