The Wholesale Klezmer Band:Workshops

Workshops and Educational Programs

Workshop: How to Dance at a Jewish Wedding

Traditional Jewish Wedding Dance serves three ritual purposes: fulfillment of the Mitzve--to dance and entertain the bride and groom, to teach the couple lessons about their relationship, and to knit two communities, the bride's side and the groom's side, into one. Besides that, it's great fun for all involved. It's also easy. And you don't have to restrict yourself to weddings to do these dances, now you'll know what to do when you go to your next klezmer concert. At an evening concert/dance, The Wholesale Klezmer Band will lead the whole group in those dances, with the people who had attended the workshop earlier in the day being a core of somewhat experienced dancers able to help the others along.

Workshop Leaders: Joe Kurland and Peggy Davis
with members of the Wholesale Klezmer Band

Lecture/demonstration: Yiddish song and music in Jewish life

The Yiddish language contains elements of, and bridges the gap between the areas of life represented by its linguistic forbears: Hebrew and Aramaic, the holy languages of prayer, and latin, germanic, and slavic, the languages of everyday life in the lands where Ashkenazic Jews have lived. Similarly, Yiddish music bridges the gap between music of the synagogue and the music of the marketplace. Characteristic stylistic elements of Yiddish instrumental and vocal music are described and demonstrated in this workshop. A range of songs are demonstrated, including love songs, children's songs, humorous songs, religious songs, labor movement songs, and songs about war and peace, and are explained regarding their origins in the tension between imperatives of holiness and realities of ordinary life.

Workshop Leaders: Joe Kurland, Sherry Mayrent, Peggy Davis
with members of the Wholesale Klezmer Band

Workshop: What Makes Jewish/Yiddish Music Jewish?

Through a discussion of the three primary elements of music -- melody, rhythm and harmony -- we will explore both the universal Jewish elements in Yiddish music as well as those unique to Eastern European Jewish culture. This is a session for those of you who always wondered why certain melodies for prayers just don't sound right or always feel at a loss when trying to learn a new tune for shul. We'll discuss traditional nusakh (prayer modes) and learn the melodic secrets of the Jewish calendar, and explore the ways in which, musically speaking, klezmer music and jazz are not only not related, but fundamentally incompatible.

Workshop leader: Sherry Mayrent

Lecture/concert: Why Would Anyone Write Yiddish Songs Today?

With so few people left who understand Yiddish today, Yosl Kurland sings and writes Yiddish songs because the Yiddish language helps him express what he has to say better than any other language. Although not a native Yiddish speaker, Mr. Kurland says that Yiddish has words with "yikhes," or lineage. In other words, since Yiddish vocabulary comes from both the holy tongue of Hebrew, and from various secular languages, every word carries associations with it that bring layers of meaning beyond their simple definitions. Yiddish songs, language and literature contain cultural treasures, express particularly Jewish ways of looking at the world, life, and our relationship with both the worldly and the holy.

Mr. Kurland will talk about, translate and perform songs that have been significant in his love affair with the Yiddish language well as his own Yiddish songs and poetry. He will be accompanied by Owen Davidson on Accordion, Guitar and Banjo.

Lakhn Mit Trern (Laughing With Tears)

A look at how laughing with tears is fundamental to the Jewish outlook on life using Yiddish song and story, and the traditional music of prayer for examples.

An example: Ashrei is a prayer whose opening three lines are about happiness. Ordinarily Ashrei is chanted with the nusakh of the time of day and week. At the opening of Neileh near the end of Yom Kippur, Ashrei is sung with a nusakh sad enough to break your heart. The irony of pairing a happy prayer with a sad melody is typical of the Jewish outlook on life. We are commanded to rejoice even if we have reason to be sad (v'samakhto b'khagekho) and we recall the brokenness of the world at the most joyous of occasions, symbolized by breaking a glass at a wedding.

Another example: This Yiddish wedding song sung by a badkhn (wedding singer):

Khosn kale, mekhutonim un fraynt,
hert vos es darshnt der badkhn haynt.
Oy haynt is a tog fun glik un fun freyd,
oy es tsitert der fidl un es khlipet di fleyt,
oy es tsitert der fidl un es khlipet di fleyt.

Bride and groom, relatives and friends,
Here's a lesson the badkhn has for you today
Today is a day of happiness and joy without end,
but the fiddle is trembling and the flute sobs away.

Here sits the bride, beautiful as the day,
And here is the fiddle, what's it got to say?
Oh, beauty is beauty, but it soon fades away.
So says the fiddle, now flute speak if you may.

Beauty's but a shadow, and happiness too,
Beauty soon fades, won't come back into view,
Thus says the badkhn, as he sheds a tear too.

Here sits the groom, clothed like a king,
And the bride in her gown like the queen of the day.
Relatives and guests, in your honor I sing,
And over us all, the flute still sobs away.

(English translation copyright © Yosl (Joe) Kurland 2002)

It is said that the deepest emotions come from the meeting of opposites. For this workshop we will examine Jewish melodies, prayers, songs and customs that demonstrate the Jewish marriage of laughter with tears.

Workshop Leader: Yosl (Joe) Kurland

Vessels Of Song: The Origins And Development Of Klezmer Music

Using recorded examples spanning the entire twentieth century, this workshop will present the various influences, both religious and secular, as well as Jewish and non-Jewish, on traditional Yiddish music (what today is called "klezmer"). This development has continued through the klezmer revival of the past 15 years, so that today there are bands representing all styles, from the most traditional to those with a hard rock world beat, and everything in between. We will also discuss the life of the klezmorim, a word which means, literally, "vessels of song," and the important role they have always had and continue to have in Jewish communal life.

Workshop leader: Sherry Mayrent

Lecture: Art in Jewish Life

Jews have a long tradition of art related to life cycle events. This presentation includes a slide show and discussion of art created for these events. The program can cover a wide range of Jewish folk art or can focus on the ketubah, the Jewish marriage contract; illuminated manuscripts; the process of creating modern work inspired by that of the past.

Presenter: Peggy Davis
Peggy H. Davis Calligraphy

Workshop: The Art of Hebrew Lettering

The art of calligraphy begins with an understanding of well proportioned and easily readable letters. This session teaches these concepts as an introduction to the Hebrew alphabet. Examples of historical Hebrew alphabets will be included. Students will receive a worksheet to take home and use for practice.

Workshop Leader: Peggy Davis

For more information and to book workshops and educational programs with the Wholesale Klezmer Band and calligrapher Peggy Davis, call Yosl (Joe) Kurland or Peggy at 413-624-3204 or email us at ganeydn@crocker.com

Click here to go back to table of contents

About this Website

This website has been written and designed by Yosl (Joe) Kurland with graphic elements created by Peggy Davis and Yosl (Joe) Kurland. We welcome your comments on the contents and design of the site. Joe and Peggy are available to design your web page too. Please address inquiries and comments to the webmaster.