In April 1933 shortly after
coming to power, the Nazi
government issued an edict
to remove all non-Aryans
from the civil service. In
effect, all Jewish employees
were to be removed from
public life.
So what happened to those
composers banned under Nazi
cultural policies?
Some emigrated to other
countries where they
achieved recognition for
their compositions.
Others were no longer able
to pursue their composing
careers. Many composers’
voices were silenced in the
gas chamber of Auschwitz:
much of their music has been
forgotten.
It is to rewrite musical
history, to bring to a wider
audience the songs of
composers banned by the
Nazis that this project has
been devised, so that the
voices of these remarkable
forbidden composers may,
once again, be heard.
To Dear Judith &
Craig,
A tragic page in
history was
written for my
generation. God
willing, you
will write your
page with
happiness, love,
shalom and a
celebration of
human dignity.
With all my
love,
Alicia
Appleman-Jurman
(Holocaust
Survivor and
author of
Alicia: My Story)
Judith
Sheridan
The daughter
of German
Jewish
refugees,
and the
great niece
of the Opera
Singer,
Sabine
Kalter,
Judith’s
rich and
varied
musical
career has
taken her
across
continents
and into the
opera
houses,
concert
halls and
educational
establishments
of Europe
and
America.
After
graduating
from the
Royal
Northern
College of
Music, and
Lancaster
University,
her studies
led finally
to the Opera
Studio in
Hamburg,
after which
she spent
ten happy
years
treading the
boards as an
Opera Diva
Since
returning to
England,
Judith now
divides her
time between
performing,
conducting
and
teaching,
Judith’s
special
interest in
the rarely
performed
music by
recently
discovered
composers
banned under
the Nazi
regime led
her to
devise the
Forbidden
Voices
project
which is the
culmination
of many
years’
research and
performances
of this
remarkable
music.
See her full
biography by
clicking on
her name in
the left
hand menu.
