The Manchester Jewish Museum gets ready to launch Synagogue Nights in celebration of Jewish music.
The Manchester Jewish Museum is launching its second Synagogue Nights season this March to celebrate Jewish music through a diverse list of musicians. The series of performances will take place in the museum’s newly restored historic Spanish and Portuguese synagogue, which reopened last summer following the museum’s multi-million-pound refurbishment which introduced new galleries and learning studios to visitors.
Now holding over 31,000 items, the museum’s collection is considered to be internationally significant by historians with the Grade II listed synagogue, originally built in 1874, deemed “one of the highlights of Victorian Gothic architecture in the country.”
Israeli singer-songwriter Noga Ritter will kickstart the Synagogue Nights season with a largely improvised performance blending Hebrew jazz with world music influences. Singing in both Hebrew and English, the musician’s interactive set with audiences will also feature a song written with the museum’s own song writing group.
“Making music with people from so many different backgrounds breaks boundaries and helps you discover other cultures together,” said Noga. “I’m really excited to play in this beautiful venue. The history and core values of the museum really resonate with my music and artistry.”
Synagogue Nights will also welcome classical quartet Manchester Baroque for a performance of 18th century music, celebrating the works of Austrian composer Cristiano Lidarti, the former patron of the Portuguese Jewish community in Amsterdam during the 1700s. Renowned pianist Jeremy Sassoon will also feature in the programme for a performance of popular hits written by musicians of Jewish origin while holding a discussion with the audience on Manchester’s own musical heritage. The history of klezmer music will also be explored during the event’s final performance provided by the University of Manchester Klezmer Ensemble, in a special celebration of how the genre has adapted to connect Azhkenazi culture with other Jewish communities.
To see the full Synagogue Nights programme, visit Manchesterjewishmuseum.com