Programme Notes – Yiddish Dances (Chamber Version)

Yiddish Dances was originally commissioned by Timothy Reynish to celebrate his 60th birthday, and he conducted the first performance with the Royal Northern College of Music Wind Ensemble in March 1998. Since then, the work has found a place in the wind ensemble repertoire with regular performances worldwide and a great number of recordings.

In 2020 the Covid -19 pandemic severely affected the ability and practicality of large music ensembles to rehearse and perform. With this thought in mind, I decided to make a ‘chamber’ version of Yiddish Dances for 14 players as a way of bringing conductors and players together in these very difficult times. I hope I have managed to recapture the colour and party spirit of the work, whilst perhaps creating something a little more intimate.

Adam Gorb
December 2020