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Steven Leas |
Toe-tapping day of Yiddish music
INTERVIEW: Steven Leas
co-organiser of Jewish music day
THERE are certain styles of music immediately recognisable when you hear just a few notes.
The resonant tones of Russian voices, the distinctive chromaticism of Indian music and the modality of Yiddish music.
And the Jewish Music Institute, based at the School of Oriental and African Studies, and the Central Synagogue, in Great Portland Street, are coming together to present an entire day of Jewish music, involving talks and concerts at the Royal Festival Hall.
“The music is very distinctive,” baritone and co-organiser Steven Leas says.
“I suppose what characterises Jewish music is the mode. It uses the Phrygian mode, or Freigish in Yiddish.”
The day begins with a talk by Jewish musicologist Dr Malcolm Miller looking at the history of Jewish over the past 350 years and there are concerts in the Purcell Room and in the foyer during the day.
Steven, who is also Cantor of the Central Synagogue, says: “Jewish music is very widespread. Between the 1920s and 1940s you would have Jewish composers writing music for Broadway or the West End and at the same time they would be writing for Yiddish Theatre.
“People like Gershwin and Rodgers and Hammerstein were all Jewish.”
Steven Leas, who is originally from South Africa and now lives in Regent’s Park, got involved in Jewish music when he started singing in a choir at the age of 12.
He became Cantor of the Linkfield-Senderwood Hebrew Congregation in his 20s and has been a member of the Johannesburg Male Voice Choir, before moving to Britain in 2002.
Steven is taking part in the evening concert From Borscht to Blighty, which sees 100 years of Jewish music surveyed, in Queen Elizabeth Hall at 8pm, with several soloists and children from the Sylvia Young Theatre School.
He says: “We will be doing a medley of Gershwin, a medley of My Fair Lady and even a medley of Mitch Murray – the lyricist behind the Gerry and the Pacemakers song I Like It. Mitch’s daughter is also taking part which is really nice.”
These are all works that would have originally appeared in the Yiddish Theatre of 42nd Street in New York.
He adds: “We are not pretending we are going down the arty route, we want people enjoying themselves.”
For more information about the day’s events see www.jmi.org.uk and to learn more about Yiddish Theatre in London see the online exhibition at www.jewishmuseum.org.uk. |
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