Music has always been with the Jewish people: It is an integral part of its spiritual and cultural life. Its primary source lays in liturgical song, with musical structures that trace back to biblical times. Evolving among geographically distinct communities, through contacts with the surrounding cultures, or isolated within the ghetto walls, diverse musical forms have emerged: Judeo-Spanish romance, synagogue choir,instrumental music (klezmer), and Yiddish song.
The "Altland" ensemble's long term goal is to collect a repertoire representing all the facets of Jewish music. In the meantime the ensemble proposes arrangements that, while not meant to be musicological reconstitutions, try to render the specific characteristics of each genre.
Along the way they sometimes venture into the neighboring musical traditions.