The Klezmer Tune Guild

With a tradition going back to the Middle Ages, klezmer is the music of Yiddish-speaking Ashkenazi Jewish communities of Eastern Europe. The term ‘klezmer’ translates as ‘vessel of song’, a reference to the travelling guild musician who played instrumental musical for the weddings. 

The music has travelled across the world due to migration (both voluntary and involuntary), and has evolved over time through the generations of musicians who passed it down to their children, and through the treasure trove of archive recordings made in the early 20th century. We use these recordings as a way into the tunes, putting them in historical and cultural context, before having a practical encounter with the tune. 

Come and join us to be your own vessel of song, and dive into the worlds of klezmer by exploring one tune a session with practical musical participation, music appreciation, and historical context, allowing us to build up a shared repertoire. Any ability encouraged to apply.

Musical instrument users are encouraged strongly encouraged to bring instruments (no matter how dusty), but no formal musical training is required to take this course. Although, we advise that willingness to participate in the music making (group humming, hitting percussion etc) will reap the greatest rewards for this course. 

The dates for this course are:

25 September, 9 October, 20 November & 11 December 2024