ABOUT US

Ensemble QUANDO had been originally considered as one-off project aiming to promote Jewish music at the Kolin synagogue during the traditional music festival Kmoch's Kolin 2016. But sort of response received from the audience made for the core members an obligation to continue in that musical activity.

QUANDO provides a historical performance on original types of stringed and percussion instruments and is focused on the historical Iberian music of middle-age and renaissance
periods. The very essence of its repertoire and the main program bloc consists of the Sephardic songs, but the ensemble also offers a broader insight into unique symbiotic culture of historical Iberian nations via second program bloc called Music of the three cultures which offers Spanish, Portuguese and Moorish song repertoire. 

Ensemble is obtaining deeper understanding of early music performance by attending dedicated interpretation courses and apart from common performances regularly plays Sephardic music in
Kolin synagogue on frequent events organized by Kolin city and State of Israel Embassy as Kolin used to be an important Jewish centre in Central Europe called "Jerusalem an der Elbe". Quando for example also received an invitation to play at the service of Jewish liberal union or performs in Czech TV document about former minister of defence Lubos Dobrovsky. 

MEMBERS

PROGRAMS

1. SEPHARDIC SONGS

MIDDLE-AGE SONGS OF SPANISH JEWS

Sephardic songs belong righteously among the treasures of the world culture and they constitute the very essence of our repertoire. Sephardic Jews as inhabitants of the Sepharad are mentioned in the Bible belong to the most ancient nations of Iberian peninsula. They were culturally and scientifically creative force until 1492, when Isabella of Castile's decree deeply divided the community and expelled the uncompliant Sephards out of Spain, leaving country after more than 2000 years. Leaving Sephardites took their belief, ladino language and also their songs with them and while settling elsewhere, they spread it over the whole Mediterenian, where we are finding about 1500 songs preserved by oral tradition over the centuries. Our Sephardic program bring you the best portion of that bold repertoire.

Following video is from the Czech TV document, where QUANDO performs Sephardic songs in Kolin synagogue :

2. MUSIC OF THE THREE CULTURES

MORISH, SPANISH/PORTUGUESE AND SEPHARDIC SONGS

As idyllic is being sometimes described the middle-age symbiosis of the Iberian cultures of Jews, Mors, Spaniards and Portuguese, who were living not beside each other, but together. A testimony of projects like the Toledo translation school is transcending the borders and the centuries. Though the life of Iberians had not been always politically easy, that overall symbiosis, which they created in respect to each other is even after more than 600 years yet a testimony for us today.

Our program would bring you to the days, when the nations loved making music together.

OUR INSTRUMENTS

Our instruments - frame drum & timbrel, vihuela da mano. lute, medieval harp and viola da gamba