Klezmer Tune Club brings together musicians, of any level, background, or instrument, to explore tunes from the rich klezmer tradition. Richard Fay and Daniel Mawson will take you on a musical journey through klezmer’s fascinating history and work with you on a new musical piece.
Klezmer has roots back to the Middle Ages and was a defining part of the Yiddish-speaking cultures of Eastern European Jewish communities. It gained new influences through migrations (especially to the USA), and is now a global music genre. The club will open up some of this rich tradition for musicians here in Manchester who may already know something about klezmer or may be keen to learn something new and less familiar.
Bring your instrument along to dive into a klezmer tune in a cultural, historical, and musical context, whilst we build an arrangement together. Don’t worry if you haven’t been to the previous sessions, each meeting involves learning a new tune. We use recordings, sheet music, and learning by ear to explore tunes in a way that is inclusive to learners of different abilities and skillsets, and that is historically, culturally, and musically sensitive.
Then, after lunch the KlezJam is an open klezmer folk session where you can come to play music, have a brew and socialise, with a very casual and inclusive feel: a folk session for all folk!
Join us to play, or simply listen and mingle. All are welcome.
What you need to know
Please note this group is open to any musician of any ability – both beginner and seasoned pro! Participants are encouraged to bring along their own instrument, although we will have percussion instruments available. Please email Richard Fay with the instrument you intend to bring along to the Club before the session: frjfay@aol.com
We try to be as inclusive as possible – all are welcome – although the minimum age for this event is 16. The event is free, but spaces are limited, so please book your ticket.
You only need to bring yourself, your voice and/or instrument. We usually have sheet music for tunes if you aren’t comfortable playing by ear. It’s also a chance for you to come to learn about the tunes, different dance styles and chat with other klezmer musicians.
For access information please refer to https://www.manchesterjewishmuseum.com/your-visit/access/.
About The Artists
Daniel Mawson and Richard Fay lead The University of Manchester Klezmer Ensemble and produce klezmer-based shows such as “Amid the Mirk Over the Irk: When Irish meets klezmer”, “Vessels of Song: Journeys into the Worlds of klezmer”, and “Klezmer Klassica”. They both performed at Manchester Jewish Museum in the past.
These sessions would not be possible without the support of both the University of Manchester Social responsibility funding and the sponsorship of the Jewish Music Institute.
