In 1983, the manuscripts of the late poet Abraham Nahum Stencl were donated to SOAS. We have now digitised the collection, to make his work available to scholars and lovers of Yiddish poetry across the globe.

SOAS commissioned Polina Shepherd to turn two of the poems in our collection into songs. 
TRANSLATION  Who hung it in front of my window, The young moon after such a rainy night?  With a half her face she looked at me, and with the other half she laughed at me – Do they know the secret, the clouds, Why do they pull so mysteriously and quietly;  Or maybe I have something to do with it,  That she does not want to appear anymore? I waited for the dark night after night Until once in the clarity without the clouds she came out,  And with her full face looked at me joyfully: You, I wiped a tear from one eye only.

Halbe Levone - Half Moon. Lyrics - Abraham Stencl. Music - Polina Shepherd

In 1983, the manuscripts of the late poet Abraham Nahum Stencl were donated to SOAS. We have now digitised the collection, to make his work available to scholars and lovers of Yiddish poetry across the globe.

SOAS commissioned Polina Shepherd to turn two of the poems in our collection into songs.
TRANSLATION:  tempest breakers taught me to rage like a storm, and to drown out with laughter everyday pain - to dare climb the highest cliffs to be smashed to smithereens and climb up again! and the cliffs rocky reefs taught me to be silent, suffer and suffer and press my lips together ..

Di Veler - The Waves. Lyrics - Abraham Stencl. Music - Polina Shepherd

A 1998 cassette recording by The Vocal Quartet Lekhaim, Kazan, Tatarstan.
Polina Achkinazi (Shepherd) - voice, arrangements, piano. 
Leonid Akselroud - voice, guitar
Maria Achkinazi - voice
Tatyana Krasulina - voice

This cassette was recorded in Kazan, Tatarstan, Russia in 1998 and was the first step for this group of music students into Jewish music. With very little access and almost now knowledge of this culture, the singers were discovering their heritage and just getting into the repertoire. Nevertheless, as one of the first emerging FSU “Klezmer Revival” projects, this recording already has something to say and was complimented by Frank London (New York) as “A remarkable group that is at the forefront of Jewish a capella singing.” Only in a few of years time, the vocal quartet with a new name Ashkenazim, having gone through intense learning and changes in personnel, was touring Europe and the US with their new Yiddish music.

Track 05

Track 02

Track 03

Track 16

Track 10

Track 01

Track 08

Track 11

Track 14

Track 12

A series of taster tracks from the new CD "Three Centuries Ago" by Polina Shepherd

Three centuries ago

Angel

Avinu

Ay yay yay

Birch tree

Du bist mayn harts

Nakht bahoyert

Silence

Silver birch

Tu mikh aroyf

Vocal Quartet Ashkenazim, Kazan, Tatarstan (Russia) 2002
Polina Achkinazi-Shepherd  (solo: 16,17), piano
Yana Ovrutskaya   (solo: 4,9,11,17)
Alina Ivakh   (solo: 2,13)
Vassily Gafner   (solo: 6,8,11)

National culture as a reflection of the depth and all common to all mankind, mystical and metaphorical.

Jewish features are always present in the creative work of the Ashkenazim as much as the Universal Truth is part of everyone of us: it bursts forth as a musical image from composer P. Achkinazi–Shepherd, it breathes with improvisations and laughter of musicians and cries with the tears of the audience.

At the Other Side of the Song we meet real people: we hear childhood (Dem Vinteles Shpileklekh, 2), much cheerful and inextinguishable imagination of dreams (Fun vos zaynen Khaloymes gemakht, 7), much longing for one’s beloved (Di ershte Vund in Harts, 4; In der Fremd, 6) These characters are excellently executed by languid Yana Ovrutskaya and picturesque V. Gafner, – a tearing apart of poverty and despair (Der Gasn Poyker, 13) executed by a singer with a great actor’s gift A. Ivakh. And beneath the veil of the mirror one can imagine a drunken party (Der shiker Nign, 14) and many silent shadows – niggunim. Feel as you like, in fact it is all unreal, memories, a world behind the mirror.

Characters from The Jewish Street (2001) were mirrored in the new melodies of a Creator, his severe reflection of the Universal mission (Vos bin ikh on mayn Folk, 16). It’s quite at one with the world outlook of the composer of the music of this program, Polina Achkinazi. My life has been upside–down for a long time (“Dem Shokhns Meydele”, 15). Vice versa. From right to left. In Yiddish.

Fun-Yener Zayt Lid

A Libe-Geshikhte

Dem Vinteles Shpilekhlekh

Lorin Sklamberg (USA) and Polina (Russia/UK) and Merlin Shepherd (UK) trio performed live in the Jewish Cultural Centre MerkAz in Utrecht on 7 February 2019. The performance was recorded by the Concertzender, The Netherlands. Featured on Acoustic Roots Radio show.
Photo by Adam Berry.

"Утушка" - Russian Folk Song, Sklamberg & the Shepherds live in Utrecht

Gib A Kush Sklamberg & the Shepherds live in Utrecht

This CD was recorded in Kazan, Tatarstan, Russia in 2000 and was the first step of the vocal quartet into Yiddish music. With very little access and almost now knowledge of Ashkenazi culture, the singers were discovering their heritage and just getting into the repertoire.
Nevertheless, as one of the first emerging FSU "Klezmer Revival" projects, this recording already has something to say and was complimented by Frank London (New York) as "A remarkable group that is at the forefront of Jewish a capella singing."

Only in a couple of years time, the vocal quartet Ashkenazim, having gone through intense learning and changes in personnel, was touring Europe and the US with their new Yiddish music, mostly composed by the leader, now composer and performer in the UK, Polina Shepherd. 

Quartet singers:
Polina Achkinazi (Shepherd)
Maria Achkinazi 
Yana Ovrutskaya
Vassily Gafner

guest singer on In Der Fintster - Alina Ivakh.

Some tracks are accompanied by Klezmer Ensemble Simkha, Kazan, Tatarstan (leader - Leonid Sontz).

12 Zol Shoyn Kumen Di Geule

1 Polka

2 Yidl Mitn Fidl

Here are a few songs recorded from two ladies, members of the Jewish Community in Kazan and also members of the amateur community choir in 1992 by a student of the Kazan Music College Polina Tovshteyn. Unfortunately, I don't have the names of the two singers and will try to find out who was at least the lady on most of the recordings here.
Please comment if you know any of the songs.

The photo is by Ilya Shalman, a photographer, who has the whole of Kazan Jewish Community history from 1900 till now in his archive.

1992 Vyo Vyo Ferdelekh/For Ikh Mir Aroys

1992 Vey Z'tsum Taten Aka Az Vey Dem Tatn

Russian and Yiddish folk and art songs and newly composed originals sung by five choirs in the UK and USA and a duo of two international cultural activists: Siberian-born singer, composer and choir leader Polina Shepherd and the lead singer of the Grammy Award-winning Klezmatics Lorin Sklamberg.

17 Volt Ikh Gehat Koyekh Fragment

1 Af Rusishe Felder Fragment

Composer, performer, choir leader, Yiddish and Russian song activist, klezmer player.

Polina Shepherd

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