Better late than never

So here, without very much more ado (this very introduction serves as some ado, it would seem), I'll get to blogging about the last two klezmer workshops I participated in this summer, beginning with KlezFest London.

Those of you who have been following the brilliant writings herein will already know that not only have I participated in (or observed) several klezmer workshop this summer, but I've attended KlezKamp and KlezKanada multiple times over the years. 

So, it is with these experiences in mind that I write about KlezFest. 

First of all, my own experience was tainted by the airline (Easyjet) delaying my baggage.  But otherwise, KlezFest (and the UK Klezmer scene) turns out to be a fascinating mid-point between Germany (and Poland) and North America.  In terms of size, demography as well as geography, KlezFest sits between the two poles (Poles?) of klezmer revival scene.

It's similar in structure to the North American camps, but contains a plenary session of dancing and singing in the mornings, which is made possible by the smaller numbers.  Along with some of the other workshops, dance, and playing for dancing, is becoming a much more central part of the curriculum.  Additionally, I've been seeing a real trend towards singing Chassidic nigunim.

For example, KlezFest held a Chassidic style wedding party on the Thursday night, with an all-star wedding band including Jeff Warschauer, Frank London, Guy Shalom, Merlin Shepherd, Michael Alpert (on Badkhones) and others!  KlezFest had invited members of the Lubavich community to come and lead dancing, and as I expected (having attended a Lubavich wedding before), the dancing and music was nothing like we had been studying all week.  In fact, contemporary Lubavich weddings bear little resemblance to anything that is being taught as traditional Jewish wedding music and dance, particularly along the lines of what someone like Zev Feldman has been researching and lecturing about.

However, like every other place I've been, it was the people that gave the workshop its character.  Mostly Londoners, the people of KlezFest were a lot of fun to hang around.  They were very inquisitive about my research, and once again, it was great to hang out at night after the day's activities.

To paraphrase Jeff Warschauer and Deborah Strauss, leaving London is tough, because it's tough to leave that community behind.  It would be amazing to bring all of those great people at KlezFest to KlezKanada 

Playing for dancing