SUNDAY, MAY 15, 2011 AT POSLUNS AUDITORIUM
The Toronto Jewish Folk Choir celebrates its 85th annual
Spring concert by commemorating the original immigrant workers who founded
the choir. Its performance – under conductor Alexander Veprinsky – features
special guests Beyond The Pale (2010 Canadian Folk Music Awards’
Instrumental Group of the Year).
The concert takes place at the Posluns
Auditorium at Baycrest, 3560 Bathurst Street, north entrance, 2nd floor
(wheelchair accessible), Sunday, May 15, 2011, 3 p.m.
Tickets are $25; seniors and students, $20; children 12 and under free.
Information and ticket reservations may be obtained by calling 416-789-5502
or e-mailing tjfolkchoir@sympatico.ca Info will also be available at
www.winchevskycentre.org/institutions/choir.html and at the Toronto Jewish
Folk Choir on Facebook.
The Choir’s major work, In Amerike, vividly captures the immigrant
experience in an evocative suite by Winnipeg composer Sid Robinovitch. The
words are from In Kanade (In Canada), a two-volume novel in verse by the
late Montreal Yiddish poet Sholem Shtern. The Choir performs the work with
Beyond The Pale, the klezmer sextet that captured the “Pushing the
Boundaries” prize at the 2010 Canadian Folk Music Awards, and was named
Instrumental Group of the Year.
Celebrating her 35th season as the Choir’s accompanist, pianist Lina
Zemelman plays the piano part of In Amerike, and accompanies the Choir in a
lively mix of music, in Yiddish, Hebrew, English and more. Soloists are
sopranos Miriam Eskin and Galina Kuznetsov, tenor Martin Houtman, baritone
Charlie Sise and bass Herman Rombouts.
Founded in 1925 primarily by immigrant garment workers, the Toronto Jewish
Folk Choir is Canada’s longest continuing Jewish performance group, with an
illustrious history. While singing in many languages, the Choir prides
itself on helping to keep the Yiddish language alive through its repertoire.
More information on the Choir is at The Encyclopedia of Music in Canada
:
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=U1ARTU0003439
The May 15 concert is presented with the assistance of the Toronto Arts
Council, and Choir members and friends.