Volltext Seite (XML)
positions - including those of Joseph Dorfman, Bonia Shur, and Siegfried Thiele, who have partiaIly written for the Leipziger Synagogalchor Concert tours abroad have been among the most important activities of the Leipziger Synagogalchor since the 1970s and have become more important since the Reunification in 1990. In 1975 and 1976, the Leipziger Synagogalchor performed concerts in Prague and Brno. Since 1983 the ensemble has travelled to Poland almost every year. The choir was a guest in the synagogues of Warsaw and Wroclaw, and in the cathedrals of Opole and Katowice. The performances in Lublin and Oswiecim, where the choir laid down flowers in the former concen- tration camps Majdanek and Auschwitz, left a deep Impression. The ensemble has maintained close contact with the Center for Jewish Culture in Leipzig's twin city Krakow. Due to the commitment of Director Joachim Russek the choir has been invited to more than 30 concerts in neighbouring Poland. The first concert tour to the West was undertaken by a delegation of eight singers along with conductor and pianist to Paris in 1985. As of 1986 almost all singers of the choir were allowed as a "travel squad" of the German Democratic Republic to travel to non-socialist countries. Its first appearances in the Federal Republic of Germany took place in 1988 in Duisburg, Hanover, and Hildesheim. Since the 1990s, the choir has given numerous concerts all over Germany. Important stops were, in addition to many festivals and Jewish Cultural Days, concerts in the Berlin Schauspielhaus (1988), the Alte Oper Frankfurt (1991), the Dresden Frauenkirche (2006), the Cologne Cathedral (2008), and the Biennial "Music of the Synagogue" in the Ruhr (2008 and 2010). Trips abroad have taken them among others to Ukraine (1993), the United States (1994), to Spain and Portugal (1996), South Africa (1998), and Brazil (2005). It was an honour but also a challenge to participate in the inter national opera production "The Eternal Road" by Kurt Weill with performances in Chemnitz (1999) and a one week concert tour to New York (2000). Thanks to the efforts of Prof. Eliyahu Schleifer, the Leipziger Synagogalchor performed in Israel in 1993 and 2010. As a sign of reconciliation, the ensemble was permitted by a Knesset decision, to perform in the synagogue of the Holocaust Memorial Yad Vashem in Jerusalem. We remember in particular the concert in the synagogue of the Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem and the concert in a kibbutz, accompanied by meetings with former German Jews, as well as concerts in Tel Aviv and Herzliya, Leipzig's youngest twin city. Musical Director Alexandra Somysh In Lviv, the heart of Western Ukraine, where our vocal and instrumental band was born 8 years ago, on the walls we can spot old inscriptions in Yiddish. Some time ago Yiddish used to be spoken and Yiddish songs used to be sung. We don't want this to be only "some time ago"... We wish this to be "today", "tomorrow", "always"... This is why we started gathering within our cozy home AJCF "Hesed-Arieh" and singing Jewish songs... Our band "Varnitshkes", like the famous Jewish and Ukrainian dish of the same name, embraces various ingre- dients - klezmer and pop, folk and rock, and is spiced by a pinch of jazz. In our "menu" we have old and modern Yiddish songs, by known composers as well as from the folk tradition, with widely spread and world-famous tunes and a stuffing of rare nigunim. The main thing is that it has to be tasty! And it seems that we're doing it- the band is touring offen over the whole of Ukraine, and also already managed to delight Polish, German, Italian, Russian and Austrian audiences. For the sixth time in a row we represent our country at the annual internation al festival "LvivKIezFest". Moreover, American and German volunteers sing with us, coming to Ukraine to broad- en their horizons towards this wonderful land where numerous fantastic Jewish songs and niguns were born. Together we comprise people who are taking their first, but steady, Steps in Jewish music, as well as experienced musicians. We adore the magic of Yiddishkeit and would like to share our passion with you! "Varnitshkes" were happy to present Ukraine at the European Jewish Choir Festival in Vienna 2013 and at the European Jewish Choir Festival in Rome 2014, and are excited to take part in the European Jewish Choir Festival in London 2015.
