Singing for a bride and groom from 1500-1800 was very different from what we know of Ashkenazic wedding traditions in Eastern Europe and beyond. In the West, there was no badkhn to entertain an audience and female singers sang for the bride while her hair was being braided. During this period, the division between men and women during the entertainment portions of a wedding was not yet absolute and such activities led to several complaints by Jewish authorities. As such, wedding songs in Ashkenaz were by no means static – their contents shifted in accordance with the changing morals and ethics of their time.
This lecture by Diana Matut will reveal the nature of singing during Jewish weddings in Ashkenaz and will answer questions such as: who was allowed to sing what to whom and when? And which repertoire did female singers perform and how?
Max Weinreich Fellowship Lecture in East European Arts, Music, and Theater
The Joseph Kremen Memorial Fellowship