Polina Shepherd

Songs of the Steppes and the Shtetl workshop and concert. Greenfield, MA, USA
2024-06-30 14:00 - 20:30 UTC | Temple Israel, 27 Pierce St., Greenfield, MA, United States
Temple Israel in Greenfield MA invites you to “Songs of the Steppes and the Shtetl,” an opportunity to sing and hear Yiddish and Russian folk music on Sunday, June 30, 2024.
Polina Shepherd will lead a workshop at 2 p.m. and give a concert at 7 p.m.

Workshop
Polina Shepherd invites you on a journey with beautiful old East European Russian and Yiddish songs in beautiful harmonies. Warm up with an energetic nign, a traditional Jewish tune, let your heart out in a gorgeous Russian lyrical folk song, gain power in Yiddish songs, all with attention to history, context and style.
Music lovers of all backgrounds and singing levels are invited. Teaching is both by ear and with sheet music.
Concert
In this musical journey, Polina will present a mixture of original, classical and folk songs mainly in Yiddish with a few visits to cultural neighbours. Her unique style and repertoire, based on traditional forms, cuts a sound deeply rooted in East European folklore. This multi-faceted weave of songs will present a few ballads, drinking songs and grandparents’ tales mixed with some sweet, dreamy folklore plus a few songs for the audience to join in.
Workshop participants are invited to perform in this concert. This concert will inaugurate the baby grand piano donated by Susan Hollins.
Polina Shepherd is a composer, performer, educator and cultural activist with over 30 years of professional experience. She grew up in a Russian Jewish home where songs were frequently sung at family celebrations. When living in Tatarstan and studying at the State Academy, she played in Russia′s first klezmer band after Perestroika, and toured the world with her own quartet, Ashkenazim. Now living in the UK, she leads choirs, collaborates with bands, orchestras, soloists, ensembles, records for film and theatre, and performs internationally. www.polinashepherd.co.uk

Temple Israel is at 27 Pierce St., Greenfield MA. A contribution on a sliding scale of $10–$30 is requested for both the workshop and for the concert. The building is handicap-accessible.

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JetLag Festival -Neoteric. USA. The Stranniki
2024-06-21 - 2024-06-23 | Peaceful Valley Campsite, 485 Banker Rd, Downsville, United States, NY 13755
21-23 June – Upstate NY
JetLag Festival -Neoteric
At JetLag Festival you’ll hear everything from avant garde rock to Balkan wave and Klezmer; from psychedelic trance to Slavic folk and sung poetry; reggae, rap, cabaret, experimental math rock, and if that’s not enough, we promise, it’ll get weirder. The Stranniki – Psoy Korolenko and Polina Shepherd will present their newly recorded (and hopefully, published) album.
Peaceful valley campsites. 191 Bear Island, Downsville, NY 13755.

JETLAG-2024: NEOTERIC
Have you ever heard the word Neoteric before?
Do you know its meaning?
What do you think it is?
Neo is the easy part. Certainly, it means new. And what is “-teric’’? The Ancient Greek suffix -τερος is an equivalent of the English “-er’ or “-est”. For example, ἐσωτερικός (esō-terikós, esoteric) loosely means “deeper, deepest”. So Neoteric means newer, newest, or just recent, fresh, young.
The word Neoteric is rather rare. It is ancient and precious. It has existed in English since the late 16th century, but was preceded by older synonyms such as just “modern”, which came to English earlier. So this word is old and new. Its own destiny showcases the dialectic of the Old and the New, the mystery of centuries that stand in front of each other, exchanging secrets, recipes and spells.

In Ancient Rome, there were poets who called themselves Neoteric. Among them were the legendary Vergilius and Catullus, whose lyrics still rock. These masters defied the mainstream of their generation with intricate craftsmanship, playfulness, freedom, and experiment. But here is one more thing: these poets themselves were part of a bigger continuity. They encapsulated an awesome tradition, mystical, and mysterious. THE TRADITION OF BEING NEW!

Over millennia, many other artists, collectives, communities, movements, carried, cherished, nurtured this tradition. Even if they did not actually brand themselves “Neoteric”, this is what they were. And so is JetLAG. And this is what makes JetLAG always unique and continuously relevant: the harmony of heritage and innovation, of reminiscence and foresight. It bridges the known and the freshly-discovered. We don’t merely hold onto traditions; we evolve them. We recognize the allure of reinvention and passionately delve into the art of starting anew.
Welcome to the evernew!
Welcome to Neoteric! Welcome to JetLAG-2024!

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Slavic Voices at King's College, London.
2024-06-12 18:45 - 20:30 | CA
A summer concert programme at King’s College Chapel.
Free registration here.
Slavic Voices is a new choir in London and Brighton & Hove for singers of all backgrounds. It presents music of all styles from the Slavic world: Orthodox chants, beautiful classics by Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky and others, refined XVIII-XIX-centuries Art songs and gritty folklore from the far corners of Siberia to the banks of the Black Sea. The repertoire is sung mainly in Russian but also in Macedonian, Ukrainian, Croatian, occasionally in Bulgarian, Polish, Czech, and adding a guest visit by a song in Yiddish or Georgian.

Join us on the journey to explore and share this culturally unique and musically diverse repertoire with the wide world. We perform at festivals and choral events, present our own concerts and collaborations with choirs and instrumentalists several times a year. Led by Polina Skovoroda-Shepherd, granddaughter of a Cossack, an internationally acclaimed performer, educator and cultural activist.
Read more here

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Voices from the East. Hastings, UK
2024-06-09 19:00 - 21:00 | Henry Ward Hall, 24-25 Cambridge Road, Hastings,, Hastings, East Sussex, TN34 1DJ, United Kingdom
BOOK HERE

Hear the songs and instrumental music of Jewish Eastern Europe, mingled with modern traditions.
Four of the world’s leading exponents in Yiddish instrumental and vocal music come together for an evening of songs, stories and culture. Hailing from the UK, Latvia, USA and Tatarstan, this motley band of Yiddishists bring, voices, violin, clarinets and piano to make a varied and exciting collaborative programme. Yiddish songs of lament, yearning, love and spirituality. Instrumental tunes comprising of dances, sacred tunes and ritual music.
Sasha Lurje (Latvia/Germany) – vocals
Craig Judelman (USA / Germany) – fiddle
Merlin Shepherd (UK) – clarinets
Polina Shepherd (Russia / UK) – voice, piano
Sasha Lurje (Riga, Latvia) is a Berlin-based Yiddish singer performing and teaching throughout the world. Her experience in traditional song, various vocal techniques, and genres adds up to a wide range that creates great performances. Her work includes projects ranging from Yiddish progressive rock with her band Forshpil to cabaret with Semer Ensemble, Helsinki Yiddish Cabaret and Cabaret Yitesh, from traditional Yiddish music expression with her trio Lebedik to historic recreations with Yale University project “Songs from the Testimonies”.
Craig Judelman (Seattle, USA) is a fiddler, composer and educator on both sides of the Atlantic. His background in classical music and composition, combined with decades of immersion in American ‘Old Time’ music cultivated a unique perspective on Klezmer fiddling. Since moving to Berlin in 2017 he has developed a singular voice in the klezmer scene. He has taught or performed at many of the major klezmer festivals
Merlin Shepherd (Cardiff, Wales) has been a fixture in the international Yiddish/Klezmer scene, both as teacher and performer for three decades. Merlin has also worked as Music Director with several of the UK’s leading theatre companies including The RSC, National Theatre, Shakespeare’s Globe and most recently at The Menier Chocolate Factory.
Polina Shepherd (Kazan, Tatarstan) is an internationally renowned singer, composer, educator and cultural activist. She brings the songs of the Steppes and the Shtetl up to date with passion and haunting soul. Her singing is deeply rooted in east European Jewish and Russian folk. Growing up in Tatarstan also placed her close to Islamic ornamentation and timbre, which can be heard in her unique vocal style and four-octave range.
Related Images:

Voices from the East. Concert in London.
2024-06-08 14:30 - 17:00 | green note, Green Note 106 Parkway, London, NW1 7AN, United Kingdom
BOOK HERE
Hear the songs and instrumental music of eastern Europe, mingled with modern music traditions. Four of the world’s leading exponents in Yiddish instrumental and vocal music come together for an evening of songs, stories and culture. Hailing from the UK, Latvia, USA and Tatarstan, this motley band of Yiddishists bring, voices, violin, clarinets and piano to make a varied and exciting collaborative programme. Yiddish songs of lament, yearning, love and spirituality. Instrumental tunes comprising of dances, sacred tunes, and ritual music.
Sasha Lurje (Latvia/Germany – vocals, poyk) is a Berlin based singer who has performed and taught Yiddish singing throughout Europe and The Americas. Her knowledge of traditional song, diverse vocal techniques and genres inform her performances. Her work includes projects ranging from Yiddish progressive rock, cabaret, traditional Yiddish music and historic recreations. Sasha is a co-founder of Shtetl Berlin and Seattle Yiddish Fest.
Craig Judelman (USA/Germany – violin) is a fiddler, composer and educator on both sides of the Atlantic. His background in classical music and composition, combined with decades of immersion in American ‘Old Time’ music cultivated a unique perspective on Klezmer fiddling. Since moving to Berlin in 2017 he has developed a singular voice in the klezmer scene. He has taught or performed at many of the major klezmer festivals.
Merlin Shepherd (UK – clarinets) has been a fixture of the international Yiddish/Klezmer scene as a player, educator and composer for over three decades. One of the first to play on period clarinets, Merlin has broken new ground in stylistically and historically informed playing. Merlin has also worked as Music Director with several of the UK’s leading theatre companies including The RSC, National Theatre, Shakespeare’s Globe and most recently at The Menier Chocolate Factory.
Polina Shepherd (Tatarstan/UK – vocals, piano) is a composer, performer and educator originally from Russia, now living in Brighton. She performs solo, collaborates with ensembles, soloists and choirs internationally. Her composition is focused on East European styles influenced by classical and folk music. She’s written over 120 compositions; music for theatre, choirs, settings for Yiddish poems, several vocal cycles, many of which have been commissioned and performed all over the world.
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Voices from the East. Concert in Brighton.
2024-06-07 19:00 - 21:00 | Brighton Unitarian Church
Klezmer music, Yiddish Songs and their cultural neighbours.
BOOK HERE

Hear the songs and instrumental music of Jewish Eastern Europe, mingled with modern traditions.
Four of the world’s leading exponents in Yiddish instrumental and vocal music come together for an evening of songs, stories and culture. Hailing from the UK, Latvia, USA and Tatarstan, this motley band of Yiddishists bring, voices, violin, clarinets and piano to make a varied and exciting collaborative programme. Yiddish songs of lament, yearning, love and spirituality. Instrumental tunes comprising of dances, sacred tunes, and ritual music.
Sasha Lurje (Latvia/Germany) – vocals
Craig Judelman (USA / Germany) – fiddle
Merlin Shepherd (UK) – clarinets
Polina Shepherd (Russia / UK) – voice, piano
Sasha Lurje (Riga, Latvia) is a Berlin-based Yiddish singer performing and teaching throughout the world. Her experience in traditional song, various vocal techniques, and genres adds up to a wide range that creates great performances. Her work includes projects ranging from Yiddish progressive rock with her band Forshpil to cabaret with Semer Ensemble, Helsinki Yiddish Cabaret and Cabaret Yitesh, from traditional Yiddish music expression with her trio Lebedik to historic recreations with Yale University project “Songs from the Testimonies”.
Craig Judelman (Seattle, USA) is a fiddler, composer and educator on both sides of the Atlantic. His background in classical music and composition, combined with decades of immersion in American ‘Old Time’ music cultivated a unique perspective on Klezmer fiddling. Since moving to Berlin in 2017 he has developed a singular voice in the klezmer scene. He has taught or performed at many of the major klezmer festivals
Merlin Shepherd (Cardiff, Wales) has been a fixture in the international Yiddish/Klezmer scene, both as teach
er and performer for three decades. Merlin has also worked as Music Director with several of the UK’s leading theatre companies including The RSC, National Theatre, Shakespeare’s Globe and most recently at The Menier Chocolate Factory.
Polina Shepherd (Kazan, Tatarstan) is an internationally renowned singer, composer, educator and cultural activist. She brings the songs of the Steppes and the Shtetl up to date with passion and haunting soul. Her singing is deeply rooted in east European Jewish and Russian folk. Growing up in Tatarstan also placed her close to Islamic ornamentation and timbre, which can be heard in her unique vocal style and four-octave range.

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Slavic Voices concert. Steyning Festival.
2024-05-27 19:00 - 21:00 | Steyning Parish Church, Vicarage Lane, Steyning, BN44 3YQ, United Kingdom
More information and booking link TBA soon
Slavic Voices present music of all styles from the Slavic world: Orthodox chants, beautiful classics by Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky and others, refined XVIII-XIX-centuries Art songs and gritty folklore from the far corners of Siberia to the banks of the Black Sea. The repertoire is sung mainly in Russian but also in Macedonian, Ukrainian, Belorussian, occasionally in Bulgarian, Polish, Czech, and adding a guest visit by a song in Yiddish or Georgian.
Join us on the journey to explore and share this culturally unique and musically diverse repertoire with the wide world.

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Surrey Voices Festival-Contest for Young Musicians. Guilford.
2024-05-25 10:00 - 19:00 | Rydes Hill Preparatory School, Aldershot Road, Guildford, GU2 8BP, United Kingdom
Organised by The Russian School and Choir in Guilford. Read in RUSSIAN below.
This is the first festival of Slavic Music in Surrey. Young pianists and singers up to the age of 18 are invited to participate. “Surrey voices 2024” is a unique opportunity for these musicians to showcase their talents at the first-ever festival of Slavic music for children in Guildford on May 25, 2024, to network, to build experience and, hopefully, to start a new tradition in Surrey.
Auditions begin at 10:00 for pianists and at 15:00 for vocalists, followed by a gala concert at 16:00.
All participants will be nominated and awarded, making this a prestigious and memorable event for aspiring Slavic musicians.
Please read more (in Russian) and apply here: https://ruscg.com/festival/.Participation fee is £27.00. Please apply following the link in this event.

Judges:For pianists: Eralys Fernandez – classical pianist and harpsichordist with more than 14 years of experience as a soloist, accompanist and chamber musician. She has performed in major concert theatres in Cuba as a soloist and accompanist.
For vocalists: Polina Shepherd – composer, performer, educator and cultural activist originally from Tatarstan (Russia), now living in Brighton. Her current work covers vocal music from large scale choirs to duets and solo. She performs solo, collaborates with ensembles, soloists and choirs internationally.

Вперые в Гилфорде проводится фестваль славянской музыки для детей. Приглашаются юные вокалисты и пианисты 25 мая 2024 года. Прослушивание пианистов начнется в 10:00, вокалистов в 15:00.Гала-концерт начнется в 16:00.В связи с тем, что такое мероприятие проводится впервые, все участники буду номинированы и награждены.Мы очень надеемся, что такое доброе начало станет ежегодным событием для молодых исполнителей славянской музыки.
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Maspindzeli and Slavic Voices concert. Brighton Fringe.
2024-05-06 16:00 - 18:00 | Brighton Spiegeltent, Old Steine, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 1EH, United Kingdom
BOOK HERE

Songs from thousands of miles away welcome you into summer and are brought to your doorstep by these two British choirs. Experience an amazing array of repertoire from cultures that meet at the Black Sea and spread like rays of the year’s hot season.Maspindzeli is a choir devoted to singing songs from the ancient polyphonic tradition of Georgia. The choir came about in 1999 in response to the growing interest in Georgian singing. Maspindzeli has studied with visiting Georgian teachers and it makes a specific point of learning authentic styles of singing from various regions of Georgia.“Maspindzeli” means “host” in Georgian and the choir has sung for the London Georgian community on a number of occasions. It has been six times to Georgia as part of the biennial Polyphonic Symposium at the Tbilisi Conservatory of Music. It is led by Bernard Burns.

Slavic Voices (London and Brighton) present music of all styles from the Slavic world: Orthodox chants, beautiful classics by Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky and others, refined XVIII-XIX-century Art songs and gritty folklore from the far corners of Siberia to the banks of the Black Sea. The repertoire is sung mainly in Russian but also in Croatian, Macedonian, Ukrainian, occasionally in Romanian and Bulgarian. The choir was formed in Autumn 2023 under the direction of an international performer and cultural activist Polina Skovoroda-Shepherd.

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Sing with Me-143 Online. Yiddish and Russian songs for May Day.
2024-05-01 18:00 - 19:00 | Online
I invite you to celebrate May Day. To me, coming from USSR, it is known as The International Worker’s Day, but it is also a pagan holiday in many parts of Europe. It was considered the last day of winter when the beginning of summer was celebrated. During Roman times, May the 1st was seen as a key period to celebrate fertility and the arrival of spring. In this session, we will sing songs in Yiddish and Russian dedicated to hard work and preparation for the summer.
Read more here

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Invitation to the Dance, London
2024-04-28 15:00 - 17:00 | st James’s Church, Islington, Prebend St, London, N1 8PF, United Kingdom
Vocal and Instrumental Music Inspired by Dance
BOOK HERE

This multifaceted programme of vocal and instrumental music is inspired by dance. It is full of contrasting rhythm, style and colour. The classical set, performed by Natalee Jeremic (violin) and Robin Rubenstein (piano) will feature Bach’s stately dances for solo violin, Piazzolla’s Tangos, Bartok’s Rumanian Dances and Spanish dances by Sarasate.
In the second part, Merlin (clarinets) and Polina Shepherd (piano and voice) will offer a set of Yiddish tangos, Klezmer Bulgars and Turkishes, traditional and original, full of joyous pulse and movement. Join us for the afternoon and let your heart and soul dance.
Natalee Jeremic is a highly versatile violinist who performs extensively as a chamber musician, orchestral musician and soloist in concert venues throughout the UK, Europe and farther afield. Originally from Australia, Natalee performs with a range of professional orchestras in the UK and Europe and has performed and recorded in prestigious venues including Wigmore Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Abbey Road Studios and Westminster Abbey.
As a soloist, she performs in the UK as well as the Republic of Ireland, Australia, Russia, Egypt and Israel. Natalee has been commended for her interpretation of solo Bach and also regularly works with composers to premier new works. She has been involved in a wide spectrum of outreach and education programs in Australia and the UK. Natalee also enjoys her work as an examiner for Trinity College London.
Robin Rubenstein was born in Los Angeles, California. She studied piano at the Royal College of Music with John Lill and Bernard Roberts. Over the years she has pursued a varied career in Britain and the US as solo pianist, chamber musician and Alexander Technique teacher. She has a longstanding duo partnership with fellow pianist Victoria Hartung and performs with clarinetist Mark Lacey and baritone David Durham. For the past ten years Robin has focused on producing music and poetry events under the banner of “Concert Party” with innovative programming aimed at creating an intimate and unstuffy atmosphere between classical music performers and their audience.
Merlin and Polina Shepherd Duo perform music from several linked cultures with improvisation, freedom and spontaneity. The Duo’s playful approach to their root traditions – klezmer, Slavic, East European and southern Mediterranean – is full of knowledge and deference. Merlin & Polina have been performing as a duo since 2004. Apart from their own concerts, they collaborate internationally with performers of various disciplines. They work as a trio Sklamberg & the Shepherds with Lorin Sklamberg, the lead singer of the Grammy award winning The Klezmatics (New York). Recently, they were guest soloists on a US and European tour with Apollo’s Fire, Cleveland’s leading Baroque Orchestra. They also perform as The Sound & Light Cinematic Duo, playing to the Yuri Morozov Collection of B&W silent Jewish films made in Russia and Ukraine between 1910 and 1930.
Merlin and Polina have performed in London, Paris, Murcia, Sao Paolo, Rio de Janeiro, New York, Brussels, Toronto, Moscow, Kiev, Warsaw, St Petersburg, Kazan, Vienna , Reykjavik and many more…
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Powerful Yiddish Songs. Workshop at Jamboree, London
2024-04-19 14:00 - 16:00 | Jamboree, 6 St Chads Place, London, WC1X 9HH, United Kingdom
See the workshop on Jamboree web site
Sing about beauty in the heart surrounded by madness of the world, about finding one’s own solid ground to stand on, strength in the voice to carry on singing and the power to move forward – IN YIDDISH! Workshop time: 2-4pm.
Yiddish songs describe the diverse lives of Jewish people across Eastern and Central Europe. They speak about people’s everyday life, friendship, love, celebrations and solidarity. We’ll focus on how international this music is and explore songs with connections to neighbouring cultures. Open to all.
No knowledge of Yiddish language or music reading skills are needed.
Led by Polina Skovoroda-Shepherd, one of the leading musicians in this field, an internationally acclaimed performer, educator and cultural activist.
Come and have lunch or snacks and drinks at the cafe beforehand, there is a great menu.

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My Goat is on the Roof. Concert in Leipzig
2024-04-05 20:00 - 22:00 | Budde-Hause, Lützowstraße 19, Leipzig, 04157, Germany
More information and booking HERE.

My Goat Is On the Roof is a multi-cultural and multi-faceted weave of songs about beauty in the heart surrounded by madness in the world. It is about inner power, deep humanity and spirituality. It’s a chain of songs linked together through improvised threads of melody and bound by an emotional thread from beginning to end. Combining mostly originals with some dark and expressive folklore mainly in Yiddish, this programme is for deep listening.

Polina Shepherd is a composer, performer, educator and cultural activist originally from Siberia, now living in Brighton UK. She grew up with singing at family gatherings where she accompanied her whole Cossack / Jewish family from the age of 7. Since moving to the UK in 2003 has been composing, recording for film and theatre, performing and touring with various projects internationally.
“My Goat Is On the Roof” ist ein multikulturelles und facettenreiches Geflecht von Liedern über die Schönheit des Herzens inmitten des Wahnsinns in der Welt. Es geht um innere Kraft, tiefe Menschlichkeit und Spiritualität. Es ist eine Kette von Liedern, die durch improvisierte Melodien miteinander verbunden sind und durch die sich von Anfang bis Ende ein emotionaler Faden zieht.
Das vorwiegend in jiddischer Sprache gesungene Programm kombiniert hauptsächlich Eigenkompositionen von Polina Sherherd mit ausdrucksstarker Folklore und regt zum tiefen und emotionalen Zuhören an.
Polina Shepherd ist eine Komponistin, Performerin, Musikpädagogin und Kulturaktivistin, die ursprünglich aus Sibirien stammt und jetzt in Brighton lebt.
Sie wuchs mit dem Singen bei Familientreffen auf, bei denen sie ihre gesamte kosakisch-jüdische Familie ab dem Alter von 7 Jahren begleitete.
2003 zog sie nach Großbritannien und komponiert seitdem, macht Aufnahmen für Film und Theater, tritt auf und tourt mit verschiedenen internationalen Klezmer-Projekten.
Kooperationsveranstaltung mit Klezmer with friends e. V.
Wir empfehlen Kartenreservierungen unter Telefon 0341 90960037 oder ticket@budde-haus.de
Eintritt:
Normalpreis: 15,00 Euro
Ermäßigter Preis: 10,00 Euro (für Schüler*innen, Azubis, Studierende, Leipzig-Pass-Inhaber*innen, Inhaber*innen eines Schwerbehindertenausweises, Inhaber*innen des Leipziger Ehrenamtspass)
Solidaritätspreis: Freiwilliger Eintritt, der über dem Normalpreis liegt. Vielen Dank!
Bitte beachten: Keine Kartenzahlung möglich.
Einlass: ab 19.00 Uhr (freie Platzwahl), reservierte Karten bitte bis spätestens 15 min vor Veranstaltungsbeginn an der Abendkasse abholen.
Veranstaltungsort: Die Veranstaltung findet im Saal des Budde-Hauses (Erdgeschoss) statt.
Gastronomie: Die Budde-Bar ist geöffnet.
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Yiddish Solidarity Songs. Workshop in Brighton.
2024-03-24 15:00 - 17:00 | The Rose Hill, 70-71 ROSEHILL TERRACE, BRIGHTON, East Sussex, BN1 4JJ, United Kingdom
Yiddish song workshop in Brighton 3-5pm at the Rose Hill Tavern
Free and open to all. Register here

his event is open to anyone and everyone. It’s FREE too (registration needed. Expect a wonderful afternoon of communal singing and insight into the unique sounds of Yiddish culture. Please email if you have any questions.
A bit of Yiddish background context: Despite attempts to eradicate its existence during the Holocaust, Yiddish, the 1000-year-old language of the Jews of Eastern Europe, is flourishing, as people young and old, Jewish and non-Jewish, explore its rich cultural heritage. There’s a concept in Yiddish called doikayt which translates to “hereness”, the state of being here. This has been solidified into Yiddish history: Yiddish language has always gone wherever its people have gone.
Yiddish songs are hugely varied: spiritual, political (such as Bundist songs – the Jewish socialist movement founded in the late 1800s), coming from theatre and cinema. They all describe the diverse lives of Jewish people across Eastern and Central Europe and all the countries they have emigrated to – their history, hopes, memories, politics, celebrations and resistance to oppression.
Led by Polina Shepherd, a composer, performer and cultural activist originally from Siberia, now living in Brighton. Having been part of the international Yiddish and Klezmer music scene for over 30 years, she works with audiences of different backgrounds and promotes building bridges and unity through singing.
Serendipitously, this event falls on the day of the joyous Jewish festival Purim, commemorating the salvation of the Jewish people in the ancient Persian Empire.
While we are encouraged to be joyful and proud during Purim, we are all reminded of our current struggles. Purim calls to actively resist the forces that seek to diminish, divide and turn us against each other.

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Magic and Mystery in Yiddish Song. Online.5
2024-03-20 18:00 - 19:30 | Online
Five Wednesdays from 21 February till 20 March

Let’s explore magic in Yiddish song: songs full of mystery, songs about wizards and rabbis who created wonders, nigunim made for special states of consciousness or just songs that bring magic into our lives.
This mini-course invites you to learn new songs and share yours, discuss their musical styles, listen to various interpretations and …get enchanted.

Read more and book here.

Related Images:

Magic and Mystery in Yiddish Song. Online.4
2024-03-13 18:00 - 19:30 | Online

Magic and Mystery in Yiddish Song. Online.3
2024-03-06 08:00 - 17:00 | Online

Magic and Mystery in Yiddish Song. Online.2
2024-02-28 18:00 - 19:30 | Online

Slavic Voices and Maspindzeli choirs in London Welcome Spring Concert
2024-02-25 15:30 - 17:30 | St Mary’s Primrose Hill, Elsworthy Road, London, NW3 3DJ, United Kingdom
BOOK HERE
Songs from thousands of miles away welcome you into Spring and are brought to your doorstep by these two British choirs. Experience an amazing array of repertoire from cultures that meet at the Black Sea and spread like rays of the year’s first sunshine.
Maspindzeli is a choir devoted to singing songs from the ancient polyphonic tradition of Georgia. The choir came about in 1999 in response to the growing interest in Georgian singing. Maspindzeli has studied with visiting Georgian teachers and it makes a specific point of learning authentic styles of singing from various regions of Georgia. “Maspindzeli” means “host” in Georgian and the choir has sung for the London Georgian community on a number of occasions. It h six times to Georgia as part of the biennial Polyphonic Symposium at the Tbilisi Conservatory of Music. It is led by Bernard Burns.
Slavic Voices (London and Brighton) present music of all styles from the Slavic world: Orthodox chants, beautiful classics by Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky and others, refined XVIII-XIX-century Art songs and gritty folklore from the far corners of Siberia to the banks of the Black Sea. The repertoire is sung mainly in Russian but also in Macedonian, Ukrainian, occasionally in Bulgarian, Polish and Czech.
The choir was formed in Autumn 2023 under the direction of an international performer and cultural activist Polina Skovoroda-Shepherd. Slavic Voices perform at festivals and choral events and present our own concerts and collaborations with choirs, bands and instrumental ensembles.
Book here
£15 / £12 concessions
A bar with drinks and snacks will be available in the break.
Please bear in mind church capacity is limited and we may not have any seats left on the day. Book in advance!
Follow and contact Maspindzeli at www.maspindzeli.org.uk and https://facebook.com/Maspindzeli
Follow and contact Slavic Voices at www.polinashepherd.co.uk/choirs/slavic-voices and www.instagram.com/slavicvoices

Related Images:

Magic and Mystery in Yiddish Song. Online.1
2024-02-21 18:00 - 19:30 | Online
Magic and Mystery in Yiddish Song
Five Wednesdays from 21 February till 20 March

Let’s explore magic in Yiddish song: songs full of mystery, songs about wizards and rabbis who created wonders, nigunim made for special states of consciousness or just songs that bring magic into our lives.
This mini-course invites you to learn new songs and share yours, discuss their musical styles, listen to various interpretations and …get enchanted.

BOOK HERE
Related Images:

Powerful Yiddish Songs. Workshop. London
2024-02-18 15:00 - 17:00 | The Electric Elephant Café, 07410 551 549, London, Walworth, SE17 3, United Kingdom
Come to sing Yiddish songs that give us strength and power.
BOOK HERE
Yiddish is a 1000-year-old language of the Jews of Eastern Europe. Yiddish folk songs are deeply rooted in spiritual traditions, also they have been influenced by many other East European cultures. They speak about people’s everyday life and express every colour of human emotion.
We will look deeper into traditional and newly composed songs, as well as songs borrowed from neighbouring cultures that have now become part of the rich Yiddish song canon.
Led by Polina Shepherd, one of Europe’s leading musicians in this field, this workshop is open to all.Come and have lunch at the cafe beforehand, it’s great food and coffee!

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Merlin and Polina Shepherd Duo concert in Brighton
2024-02-16 19:00 - 21:00 | St. Luke’s Church, Queens Park Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN2 9ZB, United Kingdom
Merlin and Polina Shepherd Duo perform a concert for the St. Luke’s Music and Wine series.
Inspired by Shostakovich and Ravel, who incorporated folklore into their compositions, Polina & Merlin Shepherd invite you on a musical voyage. Playing original compositions of Klezmer, and settings of Yiddish, Tartar, Ukrainian and Russian poems, they unearth the eternal wisdom of the ancient tales, songs and melodies. Together, we will explore the rich power of music, connecting with the mystical and the profound, and finding a path to a brighter, more beautiful now through the enduring spirit of folklore.
Music & Wine at St. Luke’s is a concert series taking place at St. Luke’s Church by the Pepperpot on Queen’s Park Road, Brighton. Concerts take place fortnightly on Friday evenings at 7.30pm and have wide-ranging programmes: from early to contemporary music, including jazz and other genres, well-known and lesser-known works, all performed by professional musicians and emerging new artists.
Performers give spoken introductions, creating an accessible and friendly atmosphere where the audience has a chance to mingle over a glass of wine at the interval.
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Sing with Me-142 online. Love songs: Yiddish, Ukrainian, Russian and maybe Tatar
2024-02-14 18:00 - 19:00 | Online
Come sing a Yiddish, Russian, Ukrainian and possibly a Tatar LOVE SONGs.
Sing with Me Yiddish Song Sessions Online open to everyone.
You’ll have some lyrics on the screen, sheet music too (maybe), Polina Shepherd’s voice to lead you through the tunes, a little discussion or sharing thoughts and ideas about what is being sung… It’s certainly entertaining, educational, heart warming and fin.
This particular session will be about love, all kinds. Love for each other, romantic love, love of God maybe. We’ll see. Songs will be announced closer to the date.

– SWM is a great international group of music lovers
– New songs in every session.
– Learn about cultural context and style.
– No knowledge of Yiddish or other languages is needed.
– Song sheets are shown on the screen during sessions.
– Session videos are posted on Youtube.
– Payments are appreciated but you can also join free of charge.
– A Zoom link for each session, printable song sheet with music, lyrics, translation and transliteration appear on this page minimum two hours before the session.

More information and previous sessions here.
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An afternoon with a Macedonian Duo and Slavic Voices choir. Workshop and Concert. Brighton, UK
2024-02-10 13:00 - 17:00 | BHASVIC, 205 Dyke Road, Hove, BN3 6EG, United Kingdom
BALKAN DUO MEETS SLAVIC VOICES
An afternoon with a Macedonian Duo and Slavic Voices choir. Workshop and Concert
Book workshop and concert separately or together
Tea and cake available between the workshop and concert.
Workshop, 1-2.30pm – Discover Macedonia through Song
Join us for a rare opportunity to experience traditional Macedonian singing with an internationally acclaimed musician, teacher, singer and group leader Filip Arilon with support from Stojan Stojanov. Learn Macedonian songs and get into the Balkan sound, rhythm, singing style… and take some songs home with you! Open to all.
Concert – Double Bill, 3-5pm: Filip & Stojan Duo (Macedonia) and Slavic Voices (London & Brighton)
Filip sings and plays tambura, gaida, tapan, kaval,.
Stojan plays clarinet, zurna, saxophone, kaval.
Filip & Stojan Duo come from Veles in the new North Macedonia. Filip has been enthusiastically collecting music and dance and from the various regions of Macedonia since his student years at the Music Academy in Stip. His broad knowledge of Macedonian folklore and dedication to conveying the material and styles of this music is inspirational.
Stojan comes from a family of musicians. He is a virtuoso Balkan clarinet and saxophone player. Filip and Stojan perform and teach music, song and dance all over Europe and as far as China and Japan and are a pure delight to witness.
Slavic Voices is a new choir in London and Brighton & Hove. It presents music of all styles from the Slavic world: Orthodox chants, beautiful classics by Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky and others, refined XVIII-XIX-centuries Art song and gritty folklore from the far corners of Siberia to the banks of the Black Sea. The repertoire is sung mainly in Russian but also in Ukrainian, Belorussian, occasional Bulgarian, Polish, Czech, and adding a guest visit by a song in Yiddish or Georgian. Led by Polina Skovoroda-Shepherd, granddaughter of a Cossack, an internationally acclaimed performer, educator and cultural activist. The choir is a non-auditioned, open to all community group open to singers from of backgrounds and walks of life.

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A winter journey with Schubert. Online
2024-02-04 | Online
Winter in Yiddishland. Full information and booking here.
This Workers Circle Our program will include Yiddish classes, lectures, music workshops and a concert featuring Klezmer stars from around the world. My workshop will be A winter journey with Schubert, where you are invited to sing a Yiddish adaptation of ‘Der Leiermann’ in Yiddish.

Polina Shepherd’s 75 minute workshop will be part of this.
A winter journey with Schubert

Come sing a Yiddish adaptation of ‘Der Leiermann’ (the Organ-grinder or Hurdy-gurdy Man), the final song in the Franz Schubert’s Winterreise song cycle. Moyshe-Leyb Halpern translated it into Yiddish in the early 1900s, and Der Leiermann became Der Katerinchik. When you hear and sing the Yiddish version, you will marvel how Schubert’s simple melody with Halpern’s translation sounds as if it was always meant to be sung by displaced Eastern European Jews. Hear the sadness of the poor musician, the longing for Home, the eternal winter.

See the full programme of the day and book here.
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London Schubertiade.
2024-02-03 19:00 - 21:00 | Lauderdale House, Waterlow Park, Highgate Hill, London, N6 5HG, United Kingdom
The members of Concert Party invite you to their annual Schubertiade in the beautiful, intimate setting of Lauderdale House. Gather round the piano with us to celebrate the life and music of Franz Schubert (31st January 1797—19 November 1828).
As in Schubert’s own day, Concert Party’s singers and instrumentalists will perform a varied programme of lieder, chamber music, and piano works interspersed with poetry and readings. It will be an evening filled with song and instrumental music including memorable works such as The Shepherd on the Rock for soprano, clarinet and piano and the Fantasy in F minor for piano duet.
Polina Shepherd will be conducting her arrangement of “Der Leiermann” for SATB (translated into Yiddish as “Der Katerinchik”) at the event. (By the way, Polina will be giving an online workshop on Katerinchik for another event the following day, see here.

Performers to include:
Natalee Jeremic – violin
Mark Lacey – clarinet
Elisabeth Talbot – soprano
Seán Purtell – bass
The Rubenstein Hartung Piano Duo (Robin Rubenstein and Victoria Hartung – piano)

Event website
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Winter Warmer: Community Cohesion Concert, Brighton UK
2024-01-27 12:00 - 16:00 | Jubilee Library, Jubilee Street, Brighton, BN1 1GE
New Year starts with a celebration of diverse communities and cultures in the Brighton and Hove area, showcasing musicians and artists with heritages from around the World.

Jubilee Library, Saturday 27th January 12.00 – 4.00
Acts so far confirmed below, more to follow.
Winter Warmer: Community Cohesion Concert

A musical celebration of diverse communities and cultures in the Brighton and Hove area, showcasing musicians and artists with heritages from around the World. Merlin and Polina Shepherd Duo take part along with Rabeea Eid (Palestinian writer), Bashir Al Gamar (Sudanese musician), a Syrian-Ukrainian fusion band and more. Organised by Best Foot Music, Intercultural music & Art organisation. 12.00 – 4pm at the Jubilee Library. Read more here.

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Sing with Me 141
2024-01-17 18:00 - 19:00 | Online
SEE THE
Sing with us, it’s GOOD FOR YOU! We had such an encouraging SWM-140 that the next session just has to be announced right away! Come to sing two songs in two languages (a Yiddish and a Russian one) in a circle of great people from all over the world. Whether you know hundreds of songs or you never sing, you’ll have a happier heart in the end of this session.
– New songs in every session.
– Learn about cultural context and style.
– No knowledge of Yiddish or other languages is needed.
– Song sheets are shown on the screen during sessions.
– Session videos are posted on Youtube.
– Payments are appreciated but you can also join free of charge.
– A Zoom link for each session, printable song sheet with music, lyrics, translation and transliteration appear on this page minimum two hours before the session.
Sing with Me have been running from 20 March 2020. By the end of the first long pandemic 2020 – 2021 stretch we became a lovely group of friends from USA, Brazil, Iceland, Canada, France, Germany, the United Arab Emirates and other corners of the world.
We sing folk songs (lyrical, drinking, dance, celebratory songs…), Art songs (The Russian Romance and Yiddish art songs) plus a bit of classics like Shostakovich and Rachmaninoff.
Information about joining and more about SWM here.
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Yiddish Khanike Celebration online
2023-12-10 18:00 - 19:00 | Online
Register HERE (free)
Come join our online Yiddish Khanike celebration! Experience the warmth of the season with Khanike greetings from our teachers and students around the globe. Sing along to both new and popular Khanike lider, delight in entertaining skits and readings with Judy Bressler, Zisl and Dinele Slepovitch, Polina Shepherd, Deborah Strauss and Jeff Warschauer, Psoy Korolenko, Cindy Paley, Yasmin Garfunkel, Tania Grinberg, Tamara Micner, Annie Cohen, Motl Didner, Miri Koral, Sheva Zucker, Gustavo Emos, Svetlana Kundish, Patrick Farrell, Adrianne Greenbaum, Daniel Galay, and surprise guests. Featured authors will be Simen Frug, Avrom Reisen, Morris Rosenfeld, A. Litvak, I. B. Singer, Aliza Greenblatt, A. N. Stenzel, and Beyle Schaechter-Gottesman.
All registrants are entered in a raffle to win complimentary registration for our Yiddish classes this spring.
English translations of the readings and songs will be provided.

This event is free, but we welcome an $18 suggested donation that will go to strengthening our world-renowned Yiddish program.

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Sing with Me online 140
2023-12-06 18:00 - 19:00 | Online
Sing with us, it’s GOOD FOR YOU! We are coming together again to sing two songs in two languages (a Yiddish and a Russian one) in a circle of great people from all over the world. Whether you know hundreds of songs or you never sing, you’ll have a happier heart in the end of this session.

New songs in every session.
Learn about cultural context and style.
No knowledge of Yiddish or other languages is needed.
Song sheets are shown on the screen during sessions.
Session videos are posted on Youtube.
Payments are appreciated but you can also join free of charge.
A Zoom link for each session, printable song sheet with music, lyrics, translation and transliteration appear on this page minimum two hours before the session.

Sing with Me have been running from 20 March 2020. By the end of the first long pandemic 2020 – 2021 stretch we became a lovely group of friends from USA, Brazil, Iceland, Canada, France, Germany, the United Arab Emirates and other corners of the world.
We sing folk songs (lyrical, drinking, dance, celebratory songs…), Art songs (The Russian Romance and Yiddish art songs) plus a bit of classics like Shostakovich and Rachmaninoff.
More here: https://www.polinashepherd.co.uk/sing-with-me/
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