About the Michael Kahan Kapelye

Michael Kahan

The Michael Kahan Kapelye is The University of Manchester’s klezmer ensemble. It is named after Michael Kahan, a Manchester-based musician who was tragically killed a few years ago in random street attack [news coverage]. With his then duo partner (in The Klezmer Gourmets), Ros Hawley, Michael planned to create a student-based ensemble before his untimely demise. His dream was fulfilled when the ensemble celebrating his memory was founded, with the support and approval of his family, in spring 2011 by Ros and Richard Fay. Since then, it has become an establish ed and ongoing component of the world music provision (as led by Caroline Bithell) in the Music Department, an achievement owing much to the support of the Music Department itself and the Jewish Music Institute at SOAS in London. Ros stepped down from the role of Performance Lead after the 2017-18 generation of MKK, her place taken by Dan Mawson who himself is an alumnus of the ensemble.

Initially, the ensemble was an extra-curricular part of the department’s activities but soon became an assessed option within the Ensemble Performance module; thus, the 2011-12 cohort were the first to be formally assessed (in March 2012), and each cohort since then has been assessed via a lunch-time concert in the spring-time (March or April). Now the module is part of the World Music Ensmeble Performance module.

At the beginning of each new academic year, a fresh generation of budding klezmorim replace those who have just completed the assessed module. But many of those earlier ensemblists continue playing klezmer and go on to form their own groups – the most prolific of which were L’chaim Kapelye, which featured now-tutor Dan Mawson.

Each year, the musicians (who will be assessed later in the year) perform at a Chanukah concert at either the Manchester Jewish Museum, or with the Liberal Manchester Jewish Society, as a first outing to prepare them for the subsequent assessed concert in the Thursday lunch-time Walter Carroll concert series.

Combinations of previously-assessed and currently-being-assessed students perform at a variety of other events each year such as concerts, both in person and virtually for the Muslim-Jewish Forum.

The ensembles have also performed for other events at the Manchester Jewish Museum (e.g. the opening of the 2013 Marc Chagall Exhibition), as well as running a ‘klezmer in words and music’ event as part of the Yeshurun Hebrew Congregation’s Coffee, Bagel and Chat series). They are also now involved in music-stimulated reminiscence sessions at the Heathlands care home and the Klezmorim of Manchester KlezJam sessions that take place at The Old Abbey Taphouse.

In the age of digital teaching as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ensemble has been able to connect with KlezNorth to be part of the wider klezmer-playing community in the North of the UK, with internationally-renowned tutors enrichment their understanding of klezmer.