Caravan Orchestra and Choir. Germany.
2025-07-28 08:00 - 2025-08-13 17:00 UTC
Caravan Orchestra & Choir concerts

Thursday, August 14th, 2025: Germany, Yiddish Summer Weimar, Jugend- und Kulturzentrum mon ami, Goetheplatz 11, 99423 Weimar, 8 PM. Tickets: www.yiddishsummer.eu

Friday, August 15th, 2025 Germany, Eisenach, Wandelhalle, 8 PM
Saturday, August 16th, 2025 Germany, Zughafen Halle 6, Zum Güterbahnhof 20, 99085 Erfurt. Tickets: www.yiddishsummer.eu
Sunday, August 17h, 2025 Germany, Weimar, Marktplatz, evening (with many other bands): 25 Years Yiddish Summer Weimar celebration

28 July – 4 August. Rehearsals in Volksmusikakademie in Freyung, Bavaria
5 August – 17 August. Rehearsals in Weimar and concerts in Thuringia.
For the 8th time, Caravan Orchestra & Choir brings together young musicians from different traditions and backgrounds with the common goal of exploring East European Jewish,East Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern music traditions. Every year, we build a learning community that relies on curiosity, transcultural experience, and a general understanding of friendship and partnership. We invite you to become a member of this unique community. All instrumentalists and singers who live in Germany or Israel (regardless of your nationality) are invited to apply.
What to expect from your participation in Caravan? In the summer of 2025, we will continue to explore the connection between Yiddish (East European Jewish) music and musics that derive from the Ottoman heritage, including Arabic music, which will be taught by veteran members of Caravan. We have found a wonderful shared repertoire (including instrumental melodies, songs, and dances) between these traditions and will study their common heritage as well as their individual musical lives in different cultures in Europe, the Levant, and Asia Minor. We will learn a lot of music by ear, and improvisation will play a major role in our music making. The teaching faculty (see below) consists of renowned practitioners of Yiddish, Turkish, and Ottoman traditions with decades of teaching expertise in projects like Caravan.
The 2025 Caravan Orchestra and Choir will take place from July 28 in the morning to August 18 in the afternoon. We will spend the first week of our time together at the beautiful Volksmusikakademie in Freyung, Bavaria and the second part in Weimar during Yiddish Summer Weimar.
Apply by clicking HERE!
Application deadline is April 27th, 2025.

Volksmusikakademie Freyung

While we will sing in many languages, English will be the main language of communication.
We will ask a 100 EUR fee for participation in Caravan Orchestra & Choir. In return, we will cover your travels, tuition with great teachers, all of the food in Bavaria and most of it in Weimar, and we will – hopefully with your help – find accommodation for participants in Weimar. There is an age limit of 30 years, so your birthday should be after August 18th, 1995. However, if you are older than that, please apply anyway and we’ll try to make your participation possible somehow.
For participants living in Weimar: please get in touch if you can offer accommodation for fellow band members from Haifa or Germany. If so, we can waive the participation fee for you.
If you have any questions, please get in touch with the project manager, Anna Grünhardt
(anna.gruenhardt@othermusicacademy.eu).
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Caravan Orchestra & Choir in Weimar, Germany
2025-08-14 20:00 - 22:00 (Europe/Paris) | Mon Ami, Goetheplatz 11, Weimar, , 99423, Germany
Last year, the artistic director of Caravan Orchestra and Choir, Polina Shepherd, introduced her new musical setting of Meyer Kharats’ Yiddish poem Mir farshidene, mir nemen zikh arum (We, who are different, embrace each other).
There could hardly be a more fitting motto for Caravan Orchestra & Choir. Recipient of the Shimon Peres Prize in 2018, it brings together young musicians with very different backgrounds from Germany and Israel for three weeks, during which they discover and come to value their many differences, as well as what they have in common.
Guided by internationally renowned musicians, the Caravan Orchestra & Choir dives into a centuries-old exchange among diverse musical cultures, including Yiddish, Sephardic, Arabic, Ottoman and Greco-Turkish instrumental and vocal music. Over three weeks of rehearsing and traveling together, the young musicians come to recognize these great traditions as a shared heritage and a living source of new musical creativity.

Concerts:
14 August Gugend- und Kulturzentrum Mon Ami. Weimar. Book here.
15 August – Eisenach, Wandelhalle. Book here.
16 August – Erfurt, Zughafen. „Mir farshidene, mir nemen zikh arum” concert. Book here.
17 August – Weimar. Marktplatz (part of a bigger programme): 25 Years Yiddish Summer Weimar celebration. Book here.

The Caravan Orchestra was founded in the summer of 2017, as an exchange project between Yiddish Summer Weimar (Germany) and the Department of Music of the University of Haifa (Israel), in cooperation with the University of Music FRANZ LISZT Weimar (Germany).

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Caravan Orchestra and Choir in Eisenach, Germany
2025-08-15 20:00 - 22:00 UTC | Wandelhalle, Wartburgallee 53, Eisenach, 99817

Caravan Orchestra and Choir in Erfurt, Germany.
2025-08-16 20:00 - 22:00 UTC | Zughafen, Zum Güterbahnhof 20, Erfurt, Germany

Mazltov! Yiddish Summer Weimar 25th Anniversary Gala Concert. Weimar, Germany
2025-08-17 16:00 - 22:00 UTC | Marktplatz, Marktplatz, Weimar, 99423
Sun, Aug 17 ‘25 04:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Marktplatz

The YSW 25th anniversary gala concert will take place on a large open-air stage directly in front of City Hall on Weimar’s historic Market Square. The concert will feature many of the audience favorites from over the years in a variety-filled program ranging from traditional klezmer to contemporary, progressive Yiddish rock. Some seating is available and there will also be plenty of room for dancing.
Admission: €20.00 / €10.00
Caravan Orchestra and Choir will play one of the final sets of the celebration.
Other concerts by Caravan Orchestra and Choir:
14 August Gugend- und Kulturzentrum Mon Ami. Weimar. Book here.
15 August – Eisenach, Wandelhalle. Book here.
16 August – Erfurt, Zughafen. „Mir farshidene, mir nemen zikh arum” concert. Book here.
17 August – Weimar. Marktplatz (part of a bigger programme): 25 Years Yiddish Summer Weimar celebration. Book here.
Caravan Orchestra and Choir was founded in the summer of 2017, as an exchange project between Yiddish Summer Weimar (Germany) and the Department of Music of the University of Haifa (Israel), in cooperation with the University of Music FRANZ LISZT Weimar (Germany).

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Golden Peacock - Yiddish Song week. London
2025-08-18 - 2025-08-22 | SOAS, University of London, Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London, WC1H 0XG, United Kingdom
Please note the event is from 17 August but Polina is not there for the first 1,5 days.

Yiddish Song School is designed for everyone who wishes to deepen their knowledge of the rich Yiddish song repertoire.
You will spend the morning studying music theory, repertoire, roots and traditions of Yiddish Song, modes and melodies. While afternoons will focus on studying further repertoire, master-classes and a Yiddish Choir. You will be amazed at how much you will be learning, singing and performing Yiddish song in only one week!
Here are a few reasons why this promises to be a week not to be missed this summer…
This is the only opportunity in the UK to immerse yourself in the deep and inspiring world of Yiddish Song for a whole week with interesting and like-minded people of all ages and from all backgrounds.
You will have the privilege of working with some of the UK’s, USA’s and Europe’s top educators and performers. No matter what your level in Yiddish whether a beginner or a budding linguist, professional singer or amateur enthusiast, you will benefit from the width and breath of programmes on offer through the week, both day and night.
The programme is based at SOAS, the heart of Ethnomusicology and the study of world cultures in the UK, at the Russell Square Campus in central London. What better chance to combine meeting an eclectic bunch of Yiddish enthusiasts with exploring one of Europe’s finest capital cities.
The Golden Peacock The Yiddish Song course is led by Shura Lipovsky, artistic director of Golden Peacock, singer and writer of new Yiddish songs with her esteemed colleagues Zalmen Mlotek and Polina Shepherd.

Full rate £260 (£230 if booked before 1st June 2025)
Student / Senior rate £190 (£175 if booked before 1st June 2025)
Senior rate is set at 65+
Refund policy:
10% deducted if cancelled before 1 June
25% deducted if cancelled before 1 July.
50% deducted if cancelled after 1 August.
Daily timings:
Sunday 17th August: 11am-6pm
Monday 18th August: 10am-7pm
Tuesday 19th August: 10am-7pm
Wednesday 20th August: 10am-7pm
Thursday 21st August: 10am-9pm
Friday 22nd August: 10am-5pm
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Klezfest London.
2025-08-20 08:00 - 2025-08-22 17:00 UTC | SOAS, University of London, Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London, WC1H 0XG, United Kingdom
Come learn, play, share klezmer music in a three-day programme by the JMI. The programme includes Klezmer Orchestra, Yiddish Dance with Sayumi Yoshida, Nigunim and Repertoire Sessions, Evening Jams and Socials and a session with the Yiddish Choir led by Zalmen Mlotek and Polina Shepherd.
Read more here.
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Running Through the Woods. Double Klezmer Duo. Brighton, UK
2025-09-05 19:00 - 23:00 UTC | The Rose Hill, 70-71 ROSEHILL TERRACE, BRIGHTON, East Sussex, BN1 4JJ, United Kingdom
Doors 7 pm.
BOOK HERE
Flora Curzon (violin/voice)
Francesca Ter-Berg (‘cello/voice)
Merlin Shepherd (clarinets)
Polina Shepherd (voice, piano)
Come and hear the first time these four outstanding players come together as a quartet.
They will blend east European instrumental and vocal traditions pushing boundaries and expectations. All whilst staying close to the roots. A tradition brought up to date.
This will be an evening of spontaneity, flare and fun.
Expect to be on the edge of your seat. Or better still, up and dancing.
Multi-award-nominated experimental/folk duo Fran & Flora captivate audiences with their reinventions of traditional Eastern European melodies and songs. Francesca Ter-Berg (cello/voice) and Flora Curzon (violin/voice) draw inspiration from archival recordings, recovered manuscripts and studying with traditional masters, infusing source material with drones, loops, free improvisation and electronics to create a “border-defying” aesthetic (Mojo).
Merlin and Polina Shepherd Duo (clarinets/voice/piano) perform together in a way that is rarely encountered. They play 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. It creates a unique sound that embraces the enduring spirit of folklore and takes the listener to new dimensions.
This is a premiere of these four outstanding players as a quartet. Expect an evening of improvisation, flare and fun. Those of you looking for heart-felt and passionate songs will be thrilled too. Performing both traditional and new compositions, they merge sounds of the Old World with sounds of the New.
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Merlin and Polina Shepherd at JimFest, Laughton, East Sussex. UK.
2025-09-06
The duo will play a concert in Festival of Jim celebrating the life of our friend musician, writer and performer Jim Marcovitch. The festival takes place in a secluded clearing in an ancient woodland, with the main stage set up among the trees.
Lineup is announced here. Tickets will be released on 7 May here.

Now in its 17th year, this tiny but very popular festival celebrates the life of musician, writer and performer Jim Marcovitch, and is organised by a small group of his family and friends. Boasting a varied line-up of up-and-coming musicians and comedians, it is perfect for lovers of good music and friendly company who want to avoid the crowds and commercial nonsense of larger festivals. Click here to see images

The festival takes place in a secluded clearing in an ancient woodland, with the main stage set up among the trees. Our first act normally begins around 2.30pm, and as dusk falls, the trees sparkle with fairy lights. We serve a delicious free meal in the evening, which you can eat around the camp fire, before our headlining bands rock the woods into the night.

We are very family-friendly, and welcome children of all ages. As well as the main stage acts, there is a children’s area with activities and performers during the day, and our young festival-goers love to explore and play in the woods around the festival site.

The Festival of Jim makes no profit. An army of volunteers help with the organising and setting up, and money from ticket sales pays for the performers, caterers, technical staff, equipment and venue. Anything left over goes towards the following year’s festival and we make contributions to different charities each year….go to the charity page to see who we’ve donated to.
​
What festival-goers say about us…

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Bratislava, Slovakia.
2025-09-11 | Arena Theatre, Viedenská cesta 10, Bratislava, 851 01, Slovakia (Slovak Republic)
11 September – Bratislava, Slovakia.
Preßburger Klezmer Band 30th Anniversary
Merlin and Polina Shepherd with Fran and Flora – a quartet – will play a set and join the Pressburger Klezmer Band on stage for the second set in their anniversary celebration. Below is the information in Slovak.

Nenechajte si ujsť jedinečný koncert skupiny PREßBURGER KLEZMER BIG BAND, ktorá zároveň uvedie do života svoje nové CD „Preßburger Klezmer Big Band LIVE“!
Špeciálnym hosťom večera bude Running Through The Woods z Veľkej Británie. V tomto unikátnom spojení zaznejú dve výrazné britské duá – Merlin & Polina Shepherd (improvizácia, sloboda, spontánnosť a prepojenie kultúr) a Fran & Flora (originálna zmes folku, avantgardy a populárnej hudby).
Príďte osláviť 30 rokov výnimočnej hudby, energie a radosti zo spoločného tvorenia! Nezmeškajte koncert, ktorý sa stane hudobnou udalosťou roka a spojí špičkových umelcov z domova aj zo zahraničia.
„Polina and Merlin Shepherd – Led Zeppelin súčasnej jidiš hudby.” – Seth Rogovoy, autor knihy „The Essential Klezmer“
Duo Merlin a Polina Shepherd (klarinety, spev, klavír) vystupuje spoločne spôsobom, s akým sa stretávame len zriedka. Hrajú hudbu z niekoľkých prepojených kultúr s improvizáciou, slobodou a spontánnosťou. Hravý prístup dua k ich koreňovým tradíciám – klezmeru, slovanským, východoeurópskym a juhostredomorským – je plný poznania a úcty. Vytvára jedinečný zvuk, ktorý v sebe zahŕňa pretrvávajúceho ducha folklóru a poslucháča posúva do nových dimenzií.
Merlin & Polina vystupujú ako duo od roku 2004. Okrem vlastných koncertov medzinárodne spolupracujú s interpretmi rôznych odborov: barokovým orchestrom, punkovou kapelou, súčasnými tanečníkmi, DJ-mi, divadelnými produkciami…
Fran & Flora
Kritikou oceňované nahrávky a strhujúce živé vystúpenia Fran & Flora viedli k ich rýchlemu vzostupu v oblasti folku, avantgardy a populárnej hudby. Druhý album Precious Collection (Hidden Notes Records’24, Guardian Folk Album of the Year) predstavuje unikátne prepracovaný jidiš materiál a pôvodné kompozície pre violončelo, husle, elektroniku, hlasy a bicie, ktoré vytvárajú intímnu, sugestívnu a „hranice prekračujúcu“ (Mojo) estetiku.
Duo čerpá materiál priamo z archívnych nahrávok, nájdených rukopisov a štúdia s majstrami tradičnej hudby od hôr Maramureșu až po Berlín a New York. Fran & Flora zďaleka nereprodukujú hudbu z minulej éry, ich zložito vymodelovaný súčasný a virtuózny zvuk bol opísaný ako „rovnako experimentálny ako prístupný“ (The Guardian).
Fran & Flora, uznávaní ako poprední umelci vo svojom odbore, očarili publikum od Londýna až po Montreal a vystupovali pred vypredaným publikom na prestížnych festivaloch a miestach.

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Yiddish Song Marathon online
2025-09-14 | Online
Join us on September 14 for a special online Yiddish Song Marathon celebrating the 125th Anniversary of the Workers Circle!For 10 hours beginning at 10:00 AM ET Yiddish performers (including Polina Shepherd) and cultural activists from around the world will share their favourite songs and recollections. Throughout the day you’ll hear ballads, resistance anthems, holiday songs, love songs and more from The Yosl and Chana Mlotek Yiddish Song Collection at the Workers Circle; a total of 125 songs for 125 years.This event is free, but we welcome donations to strengthen our Yiddish programming.
For a gift of $125, we will send you an exclusive Workers Circle Anniversary Yiddish Song Collection featuring recordings and videos from generations of Workers Circle’s cultural events.Mark your calendar for September 14 and let’s toast l’khayim to the next 125 years!Register here: https://shorturl.at/9s6jO
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Slavic Voices Brighton season starts.
2025-09-16 18:00 - 20:00 UTC | Brighton Unitarian Church
We are a non auditioned choir and welcome all singers. Join any time.
Slavic Voices London & Brighton choir present music of all styles from the Slavic world: Orthodox chants, beautiful classics by Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Schnittke 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 choir’s repertoire is sung mainly in Russian but also in Polish, Ukrainian, Serbo-Croatian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Belorussian, sometimes even Yiddish or Romanian. Slavic Voices perform in a way that is rarely encountered in the choral world. There is freedom and spontaneity in their approach to folklore as well as precision and deep focus in their classical repertoire, presented with great attention to cultural context, history and style.
Taster session is free. Full term fee when joining the choir. Discounts available when joining half way through the term. Please get in touch if you are interested in joining and specify which choir.
Members of SVL can come to Brighton choir rehearsals as a bonus and vice versa.
Our Autumn, Winter and Spring terms are usually blocks of 10 sessions with a fee of £80 (£60 students) term fee payable in cash, cheque to Polina Shepherd or via PayPal using Friends and Family option here
We opened in September 2023 and now have around 90 singers with all kinds of backgrounds. We’ve performed joint concerts with a Macedonian Folk Duo Filip Arilon and Stojan Stojanov (Macedonia), Maspindzeli Georgian choir (London), Heartwood Chorus in Bristol, Bulgarian dance group Vezanitsa (Brighton) and even collaborated with Buffo’s Wake – a UK Klezmer-Punk Carnival Chaos Band.
by Robert Young
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Sing with Me-145. Online
2025-09-17 18:00 - 19:00 UTC | Online
SING WITH ME-145 for a YIDDISH AND A RUSSIAN SONG.
For those who doesn’t know Sing with Me, they are online sessions on ZOOM, open to all.
Russian Song by P.I. Tchaikovsky. In the Midst of a Noisy Ball – «Средь шумного бала» – Sred’ Shumnogo Bala: The author of the poem is Count Alexey Tolstoy (1817-1875), a Russian writer, poet and playwright. It was written in 1851 for Sofya Miller, a remarkable woman who was very forward thinking, knew sixteen foreign languages but … was married. Alexey’s mother was dead against it, pun intended: only after the mother’s sudden death, as well as long-awaited divorce, the lovers got married.
In 1878, after Tolstoy’s death, P. I. Tchaikovsky whote music to the poem, deliberately choosing the waltz genre as one of the main attributes of any ball at the time. He dedicated his romance to his younger brother Anatoly Tchaikovsky, a lawyer by profession, who helped Pyotr survive the crisis associated with his own marriage to Antonina Milyukova. The piece was first recorded on Gramophone Records in 1901 and has been one of the most loved classic Art songs ever since.
Listen to the wonderful Dmitri Khvorostovsky version:
https://www.polinashepherd.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/дмитрии-хворостовскии-средь-шумного-бала.mp3

Our Yiddish song for SWM-145 is Oy Dortn, Dortn – Oh, There, There: A much loved by many singers nowadays, a very old love and separation song Oy Dortn, Dortn has been published in many variations by many Yiddish song collections starting with 1901. Listen to this gorgeous melody sung in a folk way, a cappella, by Ruth Rubin:
https://www.polinashepherd.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/ruth-rubin-dortn-dortn-ibern-vasserl-there-across-the-water.mp3
Here is a lovely version with an orchestra by Martha Schlamme:
https://www.polinashepherd.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Oy-Dortn-Dortn-Martha-Schlamme.mp3

Sheet music for this session is here Sred’ shumnogo bala. Melody, Oy Dortn Dortn
Join Zoom Meeting
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Payment is voluntary but very much appreciated. The best option for me is if you pay directly via PayPal Friends & Family / Gift option here.
When paying on the phone, scroll all the way down to see your basket
One session fee £6
Generous, two people fee or help me pay for ZOOM as I am buying a month subscription just for this session. £10
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Slavic Voices London season starts
2025-09-18 19:00 - 21:00 UTC
We are a non auditioned choir and welcome all singers. Join any time.
Slavic Voices London & Brighton choir present music of all styles from the Slavic world: Orthodox chants, beautiful classics by Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Schnittke 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 choir’s repertoire is sung mainly in Russian but also in Polish, Ukrainian, Serbo-Croatian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Belorussian, sometimes even Yiddish or Romanian. Slavic Voices perform in a way that is rarely encountered in the choral world. There is freedom and spontaneity in their approach to folklore as well as precision and deep focus in their classical repertoire, presented with great attention to cultural context, history and style.
Taster session is free. Full term fee when joining the choir. Discounts available when joining half way through the term. Please get in touch if you are interested in joining and specify which choir.
Members of SVL can come to Brighton choir rehearsals as a bonus and vice versa.
Our Autumn, Winter and Spring terms are usually blocks of 10 sessions with a fee of £80 (£60 students) term fee payable in cash, cheque to Polina Shepherd or via PayPal using Friends and Family option here
We opened in September 2023 and now have around 90 singers with all kinds of backgrounds. We’ve performed joint concerts with a Macedonian Folk Duo Filip Arilon and Stojan Stojanov (Macedonia), Maspindzeli Georgian choir (London), Heartwood Chorus in Bristol, Bulgarian dance group Vezanitsa (Brighton) and even collaborated with Buffo’s Wake – a UK Klezmer-Punk Carnival Chaos Band.
Related Images:

Songs from the Road, duo with Stella Morgenstern. Hamburg, Germany
2025-09-20 20:00 - 22:00 UTC | Goldbekhaus e.V., Moorfuhrtweg 9, Hamburg, 22301, Germany
BOOK HERE
SCROLL DOWN FOR ENGLISH

Hanse Shtetl presents:
Polina Shepherd aus Brighton ist zu Gast im HanseShtetl für ein Duo-Konzert mit Stella Morgenstern. Die Sängerinnen widmen sich Liedern von unterwegs. Darin thematisieren sie Migration und Wanderschaft und besingen die Sehnsucht nach einem besseren Leben. Despotismus, aber auch die globale Erwärmung lassen immer mehr Menschen ihre Heimaten verlassen.
Das HanseShtetl im Goldbekhaus präsentiert auch 2025 wieder Konzerte und Sessions. Musiker und Musikerinnen aus dem HanseShtetl in Hamburg laden Freunde aus der Jiddisch-Szene ein zu Duo-Konzerten und Sessions. Mit insgesamt vier Duo-Konzerten zeigt das HanseShtetl die Vielfalt jiddischer Musik. Denn Künstlerinnen und Künstler aus Hamburg sind Teil der internationalen Musikszene und vernetzt im Global Yiddish Shtetl.
Die Duo-Konzerte sind immer samstags und am darauffolgenden Sonntag leiten die Künstler die Klezmersessions im Goldbekhaus mit offener Bühne für Alle (Sonntag 21. September 15 – 17 Uhr).
Die Sängerin Polina Shepherd (Gesang, Klavier) ist auch Komponistin, Pädagogin und Kulturaktivistin. Sie stammt ursprünglich aus Sibirien und lebt seit 2003 in Brighton/UK. Seitdem tritt Polina Shepherd auf, unterrichtet, komponiert und tourt mit verschiedenen internationalen Projekten. Ihr Gesang ist tief in der osteuropäischen jüdischen und russischen Folklore verwurzelt. Sie wuchs auf in Tatarstan kam so auch der islamischen Ornamentik und Klangfarbe nahe, was in ihrem einzigartigen Gesangsstil zu hören ist.
Stella Morgenstern (Gesang, Ukulele) hat die Begegnung mit den Klezmatics vor mehr als 25 Jahren die Welt der jiddischen Musik eröffnet und bis heute nicht losgelassen. Sie hat sich vertieft in die alten Balladen, um schließlich mit neuen Kompositionen eigene Wege zu gehen, wie etwa mit ihrem Ensemble Stella’s Morgenstern. Sie hat sich auf Chansons und Volkslieder spezialisiert. Markenzeichen ist ihre tiefe Altstimme, die sie narrativ einsetzt. Außerdem kuratiert Stella Konzertreihen, um für die Schönheit und Vielfalt jiddischer Musik zu begeistern. Mit Jürgen Krenz und anderen hat sie dafür das HanseShtetl gegründet.

Mit: Polina Shepherd (Gesang, Klavier); Stella Morgenstern (Gesang, Ukulele); gefördert von der Bezirksversammlung Hamburg Nord
Ort: Bühne zum Hof
Eintritt: AK 20,- | VVK 17,- | erm. 10,- (ggf. zzgl. VVK-Gebühren)

Polina Shepherd from Brighton is a guest at the HanseShtetl for a duo concert with Stella Morgenstern. The singers will perform songs from their travels – songs about migration, wandering and longing for a better life.
The HanseShtetl in the Goldbekhaus will once again present concerts and sessions in 2025. Musicians from the HanseShtetl in Hamburg invite friends from the Yiddish scene to duo concerts and sessions. With a total of four duo concerts, the HanseShtetl will showcase the diversity of Yiddish music. Artists from Hamburg are part of the international music scene and network in the Global Yiddish Shtetl.
The duo concerts are always on Saturdays, and the following Sunday, the artists lead the Klezmer Sessions at the Goldbekhaus with an open stage for everyone (Sunday, September 21, 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.).
Singer Polina Shepherd (vocals, piano) is also a composer, educator, and cultural activist. Originally from Siberia, she has lived in Brighton, UK, since 2003. Since then, Polina Shepherd has performed, taught, composed, and toured with various international projects. Her singing is deeply rooted in Eastern European Jewish and Russian folklore. Growing up in Tatarstan, she was also exposed to Islamic ornamentation and timbre, which can be heard in her unique vocal style.
For Stella Morgenstern (vocals, ukulele), her encounter with the Klezmatics more than 25 years ago opened her eyes to the world of Yiddish music, and it hasn’t let go of her since. She has immersed herself in the old ballads before finally forging her own path with new compositions, such as with her ensemble Stella’s Morgenstern. She specializes in chansons and folk songs. Her trademark is her deep alto voice, which she uses narratively. Stella also curates concert series to inspire enthusiasm for the beauty and diversity of Yiddish music. She founded the HanseShtetl with Jürgen Krenz and others for this purpose.
Featuring: Polina Shepherd (vocals, piano); Stella Morgenstern (vocals, ukulele); supported by the Hamburg North District Assembly
Venue: Bühne zum Hof
Admission: Door €20 | Advance booking €17 | Concessions €10 (plus advance booking fees if applicable)

Related Images:

Klezmer session and Open Stage. Hamburg, Germany.
2025-09-21 15:00 - 17:00 UTC | Goldbekhaus e.V., Moorfuhrtweg 9, Hamburg, 22301, Germany
SCROLL DOWN FOR ENGLISH
Hanse Shtetl

Offene Bühne für jiddische Musik. Neben Instrumentalist*innen sind auch Sänger*innen herzlich willkommen, sich zu präsentieren.
Die Session richtet sich an Menschen, die Lust haben, jiddische Musik zu entdecken, mitzumachen oder einfach nur zuzuhören. Der Eintritt ist frei, Spenden werden gerne gesehen. Geleitet wird die Session von Polina Shepherd und Stella Morgenstern.

Mit: Polina Shepherd und Stella Morgenstern, gefördert von der Bezirksversammlung Hamburg-Nord
Eintritt: Eintritt frei, Spenden gerne gesehen

Open stage for Yiddish music. In addition to instrumentalists, singers are also welcome to come and share music. The session is aimed at people who want to discover Yiddish music, participate, or simply listen. Admission is free, but donations are welcome. The session will be led by Polina Shepherd and Stella Morgenstern.
Sponsored by the Hamburg-Nord District Council
Admission: Free, donations welcome
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En Masse Festival. Ballads of Eastern Europe. Bristol. UK
2025-10-10 17:00 - 22:00 UTC | Cafe Kino, 108 Stokes Croft, Bristol, BS1 3RU, United Kingdom
En Masse Festival. Workshop and Concert at Cafe Kino.
Workshop 6-7.30pm, concert – 8.30pm (doors 8pm) – 9.30pm.
Book workshop here (free of charge)
Book concert here (free of charge)
Link to RSVP for workshop (information on concert below) > https://forms.gle/u47HfXb1c9wSAsJNA (Limited space)
Workshop:
Shepherd presents a rich combination of her two blood cultures. These are songs from the Steppes and the Shtetl with extra spices from a Tatar Bazaar, washed down with a fisherman’s song from Odessa… Folklore and popular songs, powerful and profound wordless, traditional and Art songs in harmonies in Russian, Yiddish and Ukrainian. Explore new ways for your voice to flow – free, inspiring, exciting.
DOWNLOAD WORKSHOP MATERIALS HERE: Ballads of Eastern Europe workshop
Concert:
A mixture of original, classical and folk songs mainly in Yiddish with a few visits to cultural neighbours. 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 is a unique opportunity for individuals of all backgrounds to engage meaningfully with East European Jewish culture through music.
Polina Shepherd presents Ballads of Eastern Europe (Workshop & Concert) is part of En Masse’s 2025 Community and Arts Programme. This free-to-attend programme aims to enhance access to creative opportunities in Bristol, empower a diverse range of individuals to pursue creative careers, and nurture Bristol’s independent arts ecosystem by making it more connected and resilient.
Polina Shepherd is a composer, performer, educator and cultural activist originally from Siberia. She grew up in Tatarstan singing at gatherings where she accompanied her whole Cossack / Jewish family and community from the age of seven. Her singing, based on traditional forms, cuts a sound deeply rooted in east European Jewish and Russian folklore. Growing up in Tatarstan also placed her close to Islamic ornamentation and timbre, which can be heard in her unique East European vocal style.
Since 2021, Polina has served as the Artistic Director of the Caravan Orchestra and Choir, a cross-cultural initiative that brings together around 40 young musicians from Israel, Palestine and Germany to explore East European Jewish (Yiddish), East Mediterranean and Middle Eastern music traditions. Her multi-lingual and multi-cultural style explores themes of deep humanity & spirituality, and exemplifies how communal singing can preserve heritage, promote unity & build community.

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Bring us together. Concert, Workshop and Feast. Weston-super-Mare. UK
2025-10-11 15:00 - 22:00 UTC | Loves Cafe, 9 West Street, Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset, BS23 1JR, United Kingdom
Loves Cafe. Join us for the second of our BRING US TOGETHER Programme with Eastern European Folk Singer and Composer Polina Shepherd. Loves Cafes ‘Bring us Together’ series of music featuring artists from around the world and special menus from the ‘Global Kitchen Chefs’.
Tickets are Pay What you Feel, so please pay what suits your budget from £0.01 upwards.
Singing Workshop at 3 pm. BOOK workshop HERE.
An Evening of Song and Feasting from 7 pm Book concert here

DOWNLOAD WORKSHOP MATERIALS HERE: Bring Us Together. East European Songs with Polina Shepherd

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 grandfather, a WWII veteran and her whole Cossack / Jewish family from the age of 7. Since moving to the UK in 2003 has been performing, teaching, composing and touring with various projects internationally.Her singing, though based on traditional forms, cuts a sound 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.
Polina’s composition is focused on East European styles with an influence of classical music and folk elements.

“Polina’s composition is focused on East European styles with an influence of classical music and folk elements.”Cleveland Classical

“Bouncy village songs, light classical numbers and some fiery vocals make for an experience that is both worldly and rooted in Jewish tradition.”
Songlines

“Polina’s sweet, vigorous performance style perfectly reflects the dynamics and spirit of her mission—to inspire people to sing with others from the heart, to restore the culture they share across the world. “
Tela Zasloff, writer, A Rescuer’s Story

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Fail Better presents: Merlin & Polina Shepherd Duo / Aptère (France) / Jed Cutler. Brighton
2025-10-17 19:30 - 23:00 UTC | Alphabet, 11 Dyke Rd, Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, BN1 3FE, United Kingdom
BOOK HERE

Time & Location

17 Oct 2025, 19:30 – 22:30
Brighton and Hove, 11 Dyke Rd, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN1 3FE, UK

Crème de la crème of national and international musicianship on the 17th of October at exquisite A L P H A B E T. Please come and share with us what promises to be an unforgettable evening.
APTÈRE
Aptère is a duo unifying the cellist Lina Belaïd and accordionist Antoine Girard around a common passion for live and popular music, Jazz, Balkan or Musette, among others. The sounds of bowed strings and blown reeds blend and mingle on their musical playground. Sensitive compositions, adventurous improvisations, reveal rich texture ranges, melodic lyricism, haunting rhythms, oriental ornaments and bold harmonies.
JED CUTLER
Jed is an Anglo-American guitarist, multi-instrumentalist and singer from Brighton and Hove, England. All-round expertise in a variety of musical styles and techniques, including Blues, Jazz, Rock, Slide, Fingerstyle and improvised music. Over 15 years’ gigging experience working with a wide variety of musicians and bands. With humble beginnings in the deep south, of England, Jed first picked up the guitar at age 11. He grew up in a household with eccentric parents and a healthy input of a variety of music, from Bach to Mississippi John Hurt. With a deep joy of playing all kinds of music he also carries on the flame of old time blues, jazz and gospel music in his solo performances. He also has a number of other projects. These are Django Chutney, a gypsy jazz trio who play the music of Django Reinhardt. The Jones Street Collective, a quintet of outwardly looking gentlemen playing their own take on blues, jazz and gospel. And Holiday on Saturn, a Jam Band inspired space blues quartet playing a mix of original material and covers from the Allman brothers band to Sun Ra.
https://jedcutler.com/home

MERLIN AND POLINA SHEPHERD
Merlin and Polina Shepherd Duo (clarinets, voice, piano) perform together in a way that is rarely encountered. They play 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. It creates a unique sound that embraces the enduring spirit of folklore and takes the listener to new dimensions.
Merlin & Polina have been performing as a duo since 2004. Apart from their own concerts, they collaborate internationally with performers of various disciplines: a baroque orchestra, a punk band, contemporary dancers, DJs, and theatre productions.

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Dore Jacobs and the Cultures of Bodies. Essen, Germany.
2025-10-19 14:00 - 15:30 UTC | Alte Synagoge Essen, Edmund-Körner-Platz, Essen, 145127, Germany
SCROLL DOWN FOR ENGLISH
Register here (free)
Jiddische Lieder: Offenes Singen mit Polina Shepherd

In der Alten Synagoge erwartet Sie ein besonderer Nachmittag mit jiddischen Liedern und chassidischen “nigunim” – Melodien ohne Worte. Ein Singen mit und für uns alle – ohne Vorkenntnisse.
Polina Shepherds Chorarbeit umfasst viele Aspekte der Vokalmusik, von großen Chören bis hin zu kleineren Kammermusikgruppen, von sorgfältig arrangierten und dirigierten Stücken bis hin zu Chorimprovisationen.

Eintritt frei
Anschluss an das gemeinsame Singen eröffnet die Alte Synagoge Essen die Sonderausstellung “Essen in Bewegung. Dore Jacobs und die Kulturen der Körper” Alte Synagoge wird FrauenOrt NRW

Mit dem Projekt FrauenOrte NRW würdigt der FrauenRat NRW e.V. bis Ende 2025 an 52 Orten 57 Frauenpersönlichkeiten aus über 1000 Jahren und allen Ecken des (heutigen) Bundeslandes. Sie waren Pädagoginnen und Politikerinnen, Müllerinnen und Malerinnen, Widerstandskämpferinnen und Wissenschaftlerinnen, Kirchenfrauen und Kriegsreporterinnen. Infotafeln machen ihre (Frauen)Geschichte sichtbar und würdigen ihre Errungenschaften. Die Eröffnung des FrauenOrtes Alte Synagoge Essen findet am 19.10.2025 statt. Gewürdigt wird Dore Jacobs.
An open session of singing with Polina Shepherd.
oin an inspiring and uplifting Yiddish singing experience with an international cultural activist and professional educator Polina Shepherd (UK). Deep your toes into Ashkenazi vocal culture and enjoy singing in an easy going and welcoming atmosphere, learn new material and go home singing!
This session will introduce traditional wordless songs – Nigunim – and a few Yiddish folk songs. Some of them are rooted in spiritual and liturgical music, particularly the nign – a melody that is believed to bring a change of consciousness and bind communities together. Others describe the diverse lives of Jewish people across Eastern and Central Europe and all the countries they have emigrated to – their history, hopes, memories, celebrations and resistance. They tell people’s everyday stories and express every colour of human emotion.
Join us to make this connection in the most heart to heart way – making music together.
Free admission
Following the group singing, the Old Synagogue in Essen will open the special exhibition “Essen in Motion. Dore Jacobs and the Cultures of Bodies.”
With the Women’s Places NRW project, the Women’s Council NRW e.V. is honoring 57 women’s personalities from over 1,000 years and all corners of the (present-day) state at 52 locations until the end of 2025. They were educators and politicians, millers and painters, resistance fighters and scientists, churchwomen and war reporters. Information panels make their (women’s) history visible and honour their achievements. The opening of the Women’s Place Old Synagogue Essen will take place on October 19, 2025. Dore Jacobs’ Exhibition is part of this project.

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Yiddish Song Brushstrokes. ONLINE course-1
2025-10-29 13:00 - 14:30 (America/New_York) | Online
Yiddish Song Brushstrokes.
A mini course (five sessions) for The Workers Circle.
BOOK HERE

Wednesday 1:30 – 3:00 PM ET: Oct. 29, Nov. 12, 19, 26, Dec. 3
This class invites you to sing Yiddish songs that paint vivid pictures—like the graceful flight of the Golden Peacock, the twinkling stars above, the lush green gardens of our childhood days. Picture the cozy shtetl streets, with their charming, weathered houses, all woven into the fabric of these melodies.
This course is a warm invitation to share in the joy of these timeless tunes. We’ll chat about the different styles and colors of the music, and most importantly, we’ll sing together, letting the spirit of the songs fill the air.
All are welcome to join. We will learn both by ear and with sheet music, discuss style, theory and history of the songs and sing, sing, sing…
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100,000 Souls. Solo programme and workshop in Brussels
2025-11-01 | Union des Progressistes Juifs de Belgique, Rue de la Victoire 61, Bruxelles, BE-1060, Belgium
100,000 Souls – Hundert Toyznter Gemiter – Solo concert at UPJB – Union des Progressistes Juifs de Belgique.
Faites défiler vers le bas pour le français
BOOK HERE
Workshop – 2-5pm, concert 6pm.
This programme explores the beauty within the heart amidst a world of madness, featuring a blend of original and folk songs, including several European premieres. The musical pulse of the title song amplifies existential questions from a century ago. It is a setting of a poem by Leyb Kvitko, a symbolist and member of the USSR Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee: a hundred thousand souls walk the Earth blindly – lost, powerless, faithless. Do we Presn di Lipn (press our lips closed), as expressed in a poem by Avrom-Nochum Stencl, an expressionist and friend of Franz Kafka? Are we Farblondzhet in Vald (lost in the forest), as depicted in one of the folk songs in the programme? Do we embrace the world’s tears like Sankt Besht in Itsik Manger’s ballad? Or do we forget the world and escape into a realm of open eroticism, as in Polina’s song cycle based on the feminist stories of Troim Katz Handler?
Musically, the programme has an emotional thread from beginning to end. It is never the same: there is a lot of improvisation and raw spontaneity. Join this odyssey with 100,000 souls and one performer, all in search for the profound truths that music may reveal.
Polina Shepherd : Atelier de chants et concert solo
Download workshop materials here: BRUSSELS Yiddish song workshop with Polina Shepherd
Inscription obligatoire via ce formulaire. Les différents tarifs sont également communiqués dans le formulaire.
Atelier de 14:00 à 17:00. Ouverture du bar à partir de 18:00. Concert à 19:00
Concert Solo : 100,000 Souls — Hundert Toyznter Gemiter
Dans ce concert solo (voix et piano), Polina explorera la beauté au cœur d’un monde en folie à travers un mélange de chansons originales et de chants traditionnels, dont plusieurs seront présentés en première en Europe.
L’impulsion musicale de la chanson en titre, Hundert Toyznter Gemiter, amplifie les questions existentielles d’il y a un siècle. Il s’agit d’une mise en musique d’un poème de Leyb Kvitko, poète symboliste et membre du Comité antifasciste juif d’URSS :
cent mille âmes errent aveuglément sur la Terre, perdues, impuissantes, sans foi.
Fermons-nous la bouche — Presn di Lipn — comme l’écrit Avrom-Nochum Stencl, expressionniste et ami de Franz Kafka ? Sommes-nous Farblondzhet in Vald — égarés dans la forêt — comme le raconte l’une des chansons traditionnelles du programme ? Accueillons-nous les larmes du monde, tel Sankt Beshtdans la ballade d’Itsik Manger ?
Ou choisissons-nous d’oublier le monde pour nous réfugier dans un espace d’érotisme libéré, comme dans le cycle de chansons de Polina inspiré des récits féministes de Troim Katz Handler ?
Musicalement, le programme suit un fil émotionnel continu du début à la fin : jamais identique, toujours empreint d’improvisation et de spontanéité brute. Participez à cette odyssée aux côtés de 100 000 âmes et d’une seule interprète, toutes en quête des vérités profondes que la musique peut révéler.

Atelier : Chantons ensemble avant le concert !
Reconnue dans le monde entier pour ses ateliers de chant et de chœur, ainsi que pour ses sessions populaires Sing With Me qui rassemblent une vaste communauté en ligne, Polina Shepherd est sans conteste l’une des cheffes d’atelier de chant yiddish les plus talentueuses et appréciées d’aujourd’hui.
Au cours de cet atelier, vous aurez l’occasion d’apprendre un répertoire traditionnel de chants yiddishauprès de l’une des plus grandes interprètes et cheffes de chœur du genre.Vous pourrez également découvrir certaines de ses propres compositions et chanter en harmonies simples.
Ouvert à toutes et tous : aucune expérience préalable du chant ni du yiddish n’est nécessaire.

Biographie

Polina Shepherd a grandi dans une famille cosaque et juive au Tatarstan, en Russie. Pendant ses études à l’Académie d’État de Kazan dans les années 1990, elle a tourné avec Simcha, le premier groupe klezmer russe formé après la Perestroïka.
Dans sa vingtaine, elle entame une carrière foisonnante : cheffe de chœur yiddish et de groupe klezmer, compositrice, musicienne en tournée, pédagogue et organisatrice de festivals.
Installée au Royaume-Uni depuis 2003, elle a récemment collaboré avec Apollo’s Fire (Cleveland, Ohio, USA), un orchestre baroque lauréat d’un Grammy, ainsi qu’avec le duo Folk-Cabaret The Stranniki aux côtés de Psoy Korolenko (UK–USA).
Au cinéma, elle a enregistré pour The Windermere Children et apparaît comme cheffe de chœur et soliste dans la série The Crown. Au théâtre, elle a récemment travaillé comme conseillère musicale et enregistré pour la coproduction du National Theatre de Kin d’Amit Lahav ; elle a également été conseillère musicale et arrangeuse pour A Secret About Joy de Sarah Brown à Sibiu, en Roumanie.
Les œuvres chorales de Polina ont été publiées à l’international, notamment dans la Yiddish Choral Series d’Edition Peters. Elle est également directrice musicale du Caravan Orchestra and Choir, un projet international réunissant de jeunes musiciens issus des horizons classique, jazz et arabe.
Voyageant à travers le monde, Polina continue d’être une véritable “culture makher” internationale, reliant les communautés au sein du grand village musical mondial.

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Welcome to Yiddishland (Australia) screening in London
2025-11-09 16:30 - 18:00 UTC | jw3, 341-351 Finchley Road, London, England, NW3 6ET, United Kingdom
Welcome to Yiddishland – a NOMINATED FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY AWARD FILM (Australia) has made it to the UK! The UK PREMIERE will be in London on 9 November.

BUY TICKETS HERE

This fascinating documentary explores the ongoing revival of the Yiddish language, and delves into how the resurgence of Yiddish is being driven by a diverse range of artistic, musical, and cultural projects across the world. These range from an Australian theatrical production of Yentl in Yiddish, and the annual Yiddish Summer Weimar music festival, in Germany, to an all-singing, all-dancing Yiddish Revue. Also featured is the Caravan Orchestra and Choir , bringing together young Israeli/Palestinian and European musicians, to combine Yiddish and Middle Eastern musical traditions.

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Yiddish Song Brushstrokes-2. Online
2025-11-12 13:00 - 14:30 (America/New_York) | Online

Yiddish Song Brushstrokes. Online. 3
2025-11-19 13:00 - 14:30 (America/New_York) | Online

Welcome to Yiddishland (Australia) screening in Brighton, UK
2025-11-20 19:00 - 21:00 UTC | Duke of York’s at Komedia Picturehouse, 44_47 Gardner Street, Brighton & HOve, BN1 1UN, United Kingdom
Welcome to Yiddishland – a NOMINATED FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY AWARD FILM (Australia) has made it to the UK! The UK PREMIERE will be in London on 9 November, then see it in Brighton on 20 November. Merlin Shepherd will be at the Q&A sessions following the screening.

BUY TICKETS HERE

This fascinating documentary explores the ongoing revival of the Yiddish language, and delves into how the resurgence of Yiddish is being driven by a diverse range of artistic, musical, and cultural projects across the world. These range from an Australian theatrical production of Yentl in Yiddish, and the annual Yiddish Summer Weimar music festival, in Germany, to an all-singing, all-dancing Yiddish Revue. Also featured is the Caravan Orchestra and Choir , bringing together young Israeli/Palestinian and European musicians, to combine Yiddish and Middle Eastern musical traditions.

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Caravan Orchestra and Choir in Berlin
2025-11-24
Caravan Orchestra and Choir perform in Berlin for ConAct – Koordinierungszentrum Deutsch-Israelischer Jugendaustausch conference.
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Yiddish Song Brushstrokes. Online. 4
2025-11-26 13:00 - 14:30 (America/New_York) | Online

Yuletide concert. Slavic Voices. Lewes, UK
2025-11-29 18:00 - 20:00 UTC | Church of St John sub Castr, Abinger Place, Lewes, BN7 2QA, United Kingdom
Join us for a captivating Yuletide concert by Slavic Voices London & Brighton choir presenting rich musical traditions of the Slavic world in a festive programme.
BOOK HERE
Hear Orthodox chants, iconic classics by Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Schnittke, refined Art songs and gritty folklore from the far corners of Siberia to the banks of the Black Sea. The choir’s repertoire is sung mainly in Russian, Polish, Ukrainian, Serbo-Croatian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Belorussian, sometimes even Yiddish or Romanian.
Slavic Voices perform in a way that is rarely encountered in the choral world. There is freedom and spontaneity in their approach to folklore as well as precision and deep focus in their classical repertoire, performed with great attention to cultural context, history and style.
The choir opened in September 2023 and now has around 90 singers coming from many cultural backgrounds. They have performed joint concerts with a Macedonian Folk Duo Filip Arilon and Stojan Stojanov (Macedonia), Maspindzeli Georgian choir (London), Heartwood Chorus in Bristol, Bulgarian dance group Vezanitsa (Brighton) and even collaborated with a UK Klezmer-Punk Carnival Chaos Band Buffo’s Wake. The non-auditioned choir warmly welcomes new singers and aims to share their music through concerts across England, with their most recent performance held at the iconic St Mary Redcliffe in Bristol.
Led by Polina Skovoroda-Shepherd, granddaughter of a Cossack, an internationally acclaimed performer, educator and cultural activist.
Organised by Lewes Live Literature, www.leweslivelit.co.uk. LLL is a promoter of art and literature events, running spring and autumn seasons and one-off events, with a reputation for inventive, eclectic programming.
This Yuletide concert in Lewes promises to be an enchanting evening, celebrating the essence of Slavic culture through music that transcends borders.
“A mesmerising sonic journey through Eastern Europe’s rich musical heritage, the concert was a vibrant blend of heart-warming, uplifting, and classical tunes. Every singer poured their soul into the performance, creating an unforgettable experience. At the heart of it all, Polina’s brilliance and passion drive this exceptional ensemble, turning music into pure joy for both performers and audience alike.” – G.S, audience member in Brighton, March 2025.
“In the current geo-political climate, culture and humanity are more important than ever, and these are qualities close to the heart of Polina Shepherd…I highly recommend the choir to anyone with the slightest interest in music.” – DG, audience member in London, February 2025
“I was totally captivated by the harmonies and thoroughly enjoyed the performance. I was particularly taken with Polina’s style of conducting which I felt drew the audience deeper into the music. An absolute pleasure to listen to.” – L.R, audience member in Brighton, March 2025.
“‘A beautiful mix of voices, uplifting harmonies and moving Slavic melancholy.” – audience member in London, February 2025.
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BBC Radio 3. The Russia I Lost.
2025-11-30 19:15 - 20:00 UTC | Online
Listen to the show here. This programme will be also available shortly after broadcast.
Having left Russia perhaps for the last time, Tatyana Movshevich strives to define her Russian-ness for her children, by reaching back through poetry and music and family narrative, to an unwitnessed past. A rediscovery and a rewriting of her cultural story.
Cast
Vasily ….. Joel MacCormack
Klavdiya ….. Rhiannon Neads
Moisei ….. Daniel Rabin
Lydia ….. Dorothea Myer-Bennett
Lieutenant ….. Greg Kolpakchi
Tanya ….. Liza Moody
Singer ….. Polina Shepherd
Director, Jessica Dromgoole
Sound, Pete Ringrose
Producer, Monica Whitlock
Writer, Tatyana Movshevich
Thanks to Justus van de Kamp, Karen Polak, Itzik Gottesman, Donald Rayfield
and Anna Pilkington.
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