New classical works with a Jewish theme at Tsitsit in Hampstead

Tsitsit is the Fringe Festival with a Jewish flavour, it celebrates the many differing strands of contemporary Jewish identities and artistic expressions, with a programme that runs across the UK, highlighting Jewish communities past and present. The musical strand of this year's festival includes two new commissioned works being performed in the music room at Burgh House.

Soprano Rebecca Lea and the Ismena String Quartet will give the world premiere of Five Yehuda Amichai Songs by composer, poet and journalist Jeffrey Joseph (6/11/2022). The songs set poems by of Israel's finest poets, Yehuda Amichai (1924-2000) with themes focusing on the human condition, the energy and vulnerability of children and the end of love. The programme is completed by Brahms' String Quartet No. 2.

Mezzo soprano Clara Kanter and pianist Ben Smith present an evening of live music and poetry (13/11/2022), inspired by Sholem Asch's 1923 play God of Vengeance, which caused controversy on Broadway for depicting scenes of ‘obscenity’. The music is set against the backdrop of a new film cantata composed by Alastair White that celebrates the intersection of Scottish and Yiddish culture. 

Full details from the festival website.