Hartzedike-Lider

June 23, 8:00 p.m., 1994

Hartzedike-Lider (Heartsongs) brings together well-loved Yiddish songs with original stories of Jewish Canadians. Cossacks, bubbies, zaidas, ghosts, rabbis and cowboys dance with Jewith Melodies as the Mayseh (tale) unfolds.

Allan Merovitz and Brian Katz share a philosophy regarding the performance of traditional Jewish music: that it is possible to respect the tradition and maintain the integrity of a composition while at the same time allowing both the composition and, in effect, the tradition itself, to expand.

They have been experimenting with some of the Yiddish gems - "bluesing", reharmonizing, and changing the forms, finding new riches in the music.

And of course sometimes they do them just as you know them!

Allan Merovitz: A gifted actor, playwright, storyteller and raconteur, Allan is well known to audiences as the former lead vocalist of the Flying Bulger Klesmer Band. He has worked in television, theatre and film for over thirty years and has toured extensively in the US, Canada and Europe with his plays If Cows Could Fly and The Wedding Project.

Brian Katz: Guitarist/pianist/composer Brian Katz draws on jazz, classical and world music to form his personal sound. He is acclaimed for his solo performances and collaborations with the late Fred Stone, Jane Bunnett, the world jazz ensemble Solana and With William Beauvais, recently released the CD, Bridges.

(actor Carolyn Guillet and guitarist William Beauvais) perform Gwendolyn McEwen's last work, Afterworlds. Followed by Cafe Improv, with violist Julian Knight.

Carolyn Guillet wrote this about Afterworlds:

Gwen MacEwen's 17 brief poems, entitled After-thoughts, are deeply personal, almost autobiographical in nature. The shape of her own life comes to light as she tells the stories of the people and places she loves most in the world - a world which she is about to leave. They are one of the last gifts of a woman who is about to die, and a delightful celebration of life. To call this "poetry" belies the immediacy and accessibility of the work. To call it otherwise would deny its marvelous truth and beauty.
To me, ultimately, these stories are a courageous act of love through the medium of words. To do justice to my part I feel I must perform this text with an equal measure of bold love, mixed with tremendous humour and pathos, passion and rage, and a terrible, terrible vulnerability. It gives me great pleasure to bring body and soul to words so alive on the page, and to recreate for a brief moment the undying spirit of a great poet.

This is for you, Gwendolyn. Carolyn

William Beauvais: From the outset of his career, William Beauvais has brought sparkle and warmth to his readings of Canadian music. He records regularly and his projects have appeared on Centaur Records, Musica Viva and most recently a record, Bridges, with Brian Katz, on his own label, Winter Longing Records.

Carolyn Guillet: Carolyn Guillet has performed in numerous Toronto theatres specializing in classical roles such as Clytemnestra in The Greeks, Lady MacBeth in Shakespearean Characters, and new works such as Cinderella in Bedtime Stories and Joan of Arc in The Trials. Her creative pursuits encompass writing, direction, music and movement.

Julian Knight: Julian Knight is a freelance violist, playing in a variety of venues and ensembles in and around Toronto. His interest in improvised music arose during younger associations with jazz.

RW


	June 23, 8:00 p.m., 1994
	Hartzedike-Lider (Heartsongs) brings together well-loved Yiddish songs with original stories of Jewish Canadians. Cossacks, bubbies, zaidas, ghosts, rabbis and cowboys dance with Jewith Melodies as the Mayseh (tale) unfolds. Allan Merovitz and Brian Katz share a philosophy regarding the performance of traditional Jewish music: that it is possible to respect the tradition and maintain the integrity of a composition while at the same time allowing both the composition and, in effect, the tradition itself, to expand. They have been experimenting with some of the Yiddish gems - "bluesing", reharmonizing, and changing the forms, finding new riches in the music. And of course sometimes they do them just as you know them! Allan Merovitz: A gifted actor, playwright, storyteller and raconteur, Allan is well known to audiences as the former lead vocalist of the Flying Bulger Klesmer Band. He has worked in television, theatre and film for over thirty years and has toured extensively in the US, Canada and Europe with his plays If Cows Could Fly and The Wedding Project. Brian Katz: Guitarist/pianist/composer Brian Katz draws on jazz, classical and world music to form his personal sound. He is acclaimed for his solo performances and collaborations with the late Fred Stone, Jane Bunnett, the world jazz ensemble Solana and With William Beauvais, recently released the CD, Bridges. (actor Carolyn Guillet and guitarist William Beauvais) perform Gwendolyn McEwen's last work, Afterworlds. Followed by Cafe Improv, with violist Julian Knight. Carolyn Guillet wrote this about Afterworlds: Gwen MacEwen's 17 brief poems, entitled After-thoughts, are deeply personal, almost autobiographical in nature. The shape of her own life comes to light as she tells the stories of the people and places she loves most in the world - a world which she is about to leave. They are one of the last gifts of a woman who is about to die, and a delightful celebration of life. To call this "poetry" belies the immediacy and accessibility of the work. To call it otherwise would deny its marvelous truth and beauty. To me, ultimately, these stories are a courageous act of love through the medium of words. To do justice to my part I feel I must perform this text with an equal measure of bold love, mixed with tremendous humour and pathos, passion and rage, and a terrible, terrible vulnerability. It gives me great pleasure to bring body and soul to words so alive on the page, and to recreate for a brief moment the undying spirit of a great poet. This is for you, Gwendolyn. Carolyn William Beauvais: From the outset of his career, William Beauvais has brought sparkle and warmth to his readings of Canadian music. He records regularly and his projects have appeared on Centaur Records, Musica Viva and most recently a record, Bridges, with Brian Katz, on his own label, Winter Longing Records. Carolyn Guillet: Carolyn Guillet has performed in numerous Toronto theatres specializing in classical roles such as Clytemnestra in The Greeks, Lady MacBeth in Shakespearean Characters, and new works such as Cinderella in Bedtime Stories and Joan of Arc in The Trials. Her creative pursuits encompass writing, direction, music and movement. Julian Knight: Julian Knight is a freelance violist, playing in a variety of venues and ensembles in and around Toronto. His interest in improvised music arose during younger associations with jazz. RW