Nigunim La-Ad

«Nigunim La-Ad» (Jewish Tunes Forever) is а not-for-profit Israeli organization involved with re-establishing the heritage of the St. Petersburg Society for Jewish Folk Music and Moscow Society of Jewish Music (OENM/OEM), as an essential component of the Jewish cultural heritage, the foundation of modern Jewish and Israeli music. Bringing the unfairly forgotten music to the stage is a complex and long-winded process, requiring systematic, ongoing, complementary activities. To be appreciated in the world, this priceless heritage must be studied and became available to the public. David Ben-Gershon. Return of Music (Hebrew)

Only the loving touch of a musician can wake up the "sleeping princess", turn a cultural artifact into music! We "revive" selected musical pearls, often starting from scratch, because many pieces have not been performed for over a hundred years! Since 2008, we have been organizing concerts, lecture-concerts, and festivals, usually six to ten events per year throughout Israel. In 2017 we started annual Engel Festival Jewish Art Music with six concerts that took place in 2018, and four in 2019.

Our collection (Hebrew Music Library) of sheet music and audio/video titles (including our own live and studio recordings) currently numbers several hundred scores (out of over a thousand famous titles) and is available for beta testing. Due to the specifics of the material, the support of the music collection should be supplemented by educational activities - the organisation of concerts, information, and publications.

Nigunim Laad

Bank Leumi, 10, branch 902, account 41200040

We collaborate with Ron-Shulamith Conservatory in Jerusalem on representing OENM/OEM composers in educational curriculum by using music samples, lectures on music history, including into student concerts and annual competitions. Students can listen to audio excerpts, to view photo and video images of recording sessions, concerts, and the oral histories. We plan to prepare and publish selections and textbooks of vocal, chamber ensemble and instrumental music for schools and performers.

We see our mission as complementing efforts by Pro Musica Hebraica, The Milken Archive of Jewish Music, YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, The Joseph Achron Society, The Music Center of The National Library of Israel, The American Society for Jewish Music, The Levinski Colledge of Education.

Our collection needs to be extended by locating yet missed scores of OENM/OEM composers, as well as music of their followers and opponents, further classified, annotated, and supplemented by examples. We want this collection to be freely available to musicians, educators and researchers, complementing International Music Score Library Project by Jewish Art Music, so far missing from this International Music Score Library Project.

We are seeking funds for the development of our collection into a Jewish Art Music Library, the truly comprehensive representation of modern Art Music, both Jewish and Israeli. Please contact us, if you want to be a part of or support our activities.

David Ben-Gershon, Music Curator, Founder

From the 2nd Engel Festival of Jewish Art Music

PRESS

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  The third concert of the second Joel Engel Festival took place at the Jerusalem Music centre, Mishkenot Sha’ananim on April 30th 2018. In an ongoing project initiated by David Ben Gershon and endorsed by the work of soprano Shirelle Dashevsky, artistic director of the festival, this was another event reintroducing the significant body of music from the St. Petersburg- and Moscow schools of Jewish music of the early 20th century to the concert stage and to public awareness. (by Pamela Hickman)

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  The new Hymn to the Poet festival is a unique musical event, perhaps the first of its kind. It is dedicated to pieces written in the early 20th century by Jewish composers from Moscow and Saint Petersburg.

  “The first thing that comes to mind when you think of Jewish music are sensitive folk songs such as ‘My Yiddishe Mama’ or ‘Tum Balalaika,’ which is not all – far from it,” says soprano Shirelle Dashevsky, the artistic director of the festival. (by Maxim Reider)

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  On November 24th 2015, “Hymn to a Poet”, the first of three concerts of works by composers of the Jewish Art Music Movement, took place in the National Library of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. It was organized by the “Joel Engel Nigunim La’ad (Melody Forever) Organization”, established in 2012 by Shirelle Dashevsky, with the aim of promoting Jewish art music and encouraging the composition of Jewish works. (by Pamela Hickman)

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  “From Forgotten Jewish Music of the 20th Century” was the title given to a recital presented by soprano Shirelle Dashevsky and pianist Zinaida Gladun at the Jerusalem Harmony (Cultures Centre) Hall, December 17th 2009. The program focused on four Jewish composers, also including Jewish folk songs as well as some well-loved Israeli songs. (by Pamela Hickman)

From the 1st Engel Festival of Jewish Art Music

Selection from 2008-2017 concerts