The Lost Jewish Melodies of Ukraine, with Veretski Pass

Veretski Pass presents a program of formerly lost melodies of pre-Holocaust traditional Ukrainian-Jewish music, as well as dances from Ukraine. This new program combines traditional folk resources from Ukraine with Veretski Pass’ own new compositions. With both traditional and contemporary folk gestures, in concert with the traditional style of improvisation, this collection draws on sources of Ukrainian Jewish music that are in peril, being housed in the Vernadsky Library in Kiev, Ukraine.

Those with concert tickets are invited to attend Under the Hood at 3pm, a 30-minute talk with violinist/violist, scholar and teacher Cookie Segelstein, who will explore ways musicians can balance old-school research and learning with digital resources. How does Veretski Pass use Jewish archival collection materials to compose and arrange new music? This presentation shows their creative process, from gathering materials, to the treatment of the smallest melodic fragments, to using whole melodies. Cookie will show elements of this, including music sources, tempo and key treatments, melodic and rhythmic variations. The performance at 4pm will include works created through this process. The talk is supported, in part, by a grant from KlezCalifornia’s Yiddish Culture Fund.

Presented by Calliope East Bay Music and Arts at Saint Alban’s Church in Albany, both in person and online.