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London Choirs participating in the Barry Weinberg Jewish Choral Festivals
(December 2003)

Children’s choir

Jewish Youth Choir (JYC), Musical Director Vivienne Bellos
JYC rehearses every Wednesday from 5:30 – 7:00pm in North London . They sing Jewish music from around the world as well as pop cantatas and songs from the shows. They have performed at many prestigious London venues as well as at local residential homes and clubs but most of all they love singing. For more information or to join the choir please call Viv Bellos 07956 912567 or email vivienne.bellos [at] btinternet.com

Male Choirs

The Ne'imah Singers, Conductor: MarcTemerlies
The Ne’imah Singers was founded in 1994 by Marc Temerlies, together with chorister Jonathan Weissbart, and Cantor Moshe Haschel. The name “Ne’imah” (“sweet/pleasant melody”) reflects their aim of glorifying prayer through beautiful song. The choir’s music is based on traditional melodies, modes and styles (nusach) and includes works by the great American, British and European cantorial composers – Rosenblatt, Alman, Lewandowski, Dunajewsky, Sulzer, Mombach, Adler, Salomone de Rossi, Saqui and Zilberts. The majority of the arrangements are by Raymond Goldstein ( Jerusalem ) although the choir also sings arrangements by Stephen Glass ( Montreal ), Emmanuel Fisher and Marc Temerlies (UK). The Choir sings regularly with Cantor Haschel at the St. John's Wood United Synagogue on Sabbaths and Festivals. A highlight of the year is the Synagogue’s Choral Midnight Selichot Service, fast becoming established as a focal point in the communal diary. The Neimah Singers have been chosen to appear at major civic and national services and events such as the first British National Holocaust Day Commemoration where they performed before royalty and national leaders and their performances have been broadcast on BBC radio and television. The Choir’s CD is available from Jewish Music Distribution. Conductor Mark Temerlies trained as a pianist at the Royal Academy of Music and studied the cantorial art with the late Rev. Mark Hertzberg. He has acted as cantor in Hove and in London . Marc has a degree in mathematics is a chartered accountant and currently works for an investment bank in the City. He is married to Idit, daughter of Cantor Naftali Herstik of Jerusalem and they have a little daughter.

The Neimah Singers rehearse on Wednesday evenings 8:00 - 10:15 at St John’s Wood Synagogue, Grove End Road , NW3. Music readers with an interest in Synagogue music are welcome to join. Enquiries to Marc Temerlies 07973 909 384 or email marc.temerlies [at] citigroup.com or see the Neimah Website www.neimah.freeserve.co.uk

The Shabbaton Choir, Conductor: Stephen Levey
The Shabbaton Choir was formed in 1986 especially for the young Music graduate Stephen Glass. It was called the Bnai Brith Festival Singers and performed arrangements of traditional and composed Synagogue music by Stephen Glass himself, with cantors Naftali Herstik, Stephen Robins and Geoffrey Shisler. They pioneered the re-introduction of the midnight Choral Selichot Service in the UK . After Stephen glass left for Montreal , Stephen Levey (a chorister since 1986) took over and conducted the Choir at the Induction Service of Chief Rabbi Sacks. Each year they are invited to perform beautiful Shabbat services at many places around the country with cantor Lionel Rosenfeld and continue to present the Selichot service at which the Chief Rabbi gives his New Year address.

The Choirs repertoire is mainly music by Stephen Glass whose innovative choral harmonies and arrangements are written with the aim of bringing out clearly the mood and meaning of the words. The choir has gained a reputation for a mellow sound, sensitive singing and a rich interpretation of the psalms and prayers.

In August 2002 a new CD Selichot LIVE! was released featuring Lionel, Shimon Craimer and the Choir. The Choir has recorded many times for the BBC and has been featured frequently on radio and television. Together with Shimon Craimer and Lionel Rosenfeld, they participated in the hugely successful "Solidarity Through Song" mission to Israel in February 2003, which was led by the Chief Rabbi, Dr Jonathan Sacks. The mission featured a series of concerts, hospital visits and a choral Shabbaton.

The Shabbaton Choir remember at this time their revered colleague and friend, Barry Weinberg z”l, whose wisdom, talent and wit they all sorely miss.

Mixed choirs

The Zemel Choir, Conductor: Ben Wolf
The Zemel Choir, established by Dudley Cohen in 1955, has established an international reputation as a fine mixed voice Jewish choir. Its purpose is to explore a wide range of Jewish repertoire in many languages from the Ashkenazi, Sephardi, Yiddish and Israeli Jewish music traditions, for concert performances. They are invited perform around the country for countless community and civic events and have travelled abroad extensively singing at the opening ceremony of the 1996 Zimriyah in Jerusalem .. They have made several TV and Radio appearances and of their many recordings the most recent is The English Tradition of Jewish Choral Music. The Zemel Choir’s members come from a wide variety of backgrounds and enjoy being part of a warm and friendly social group.

The Zemel Choir rehearse on Monday nights 8:00-10:15pm at Hendon Reform Synagogue, Danescroft Avenue , NW4

New members are always welcome. Information on the choir can be found on our website at www.the-zemel-choir.org or phone the membership secretary, Doreen Havardi on 020-8868 8423.

Alyth Choral Society, Conductor: Vivienne Bellos
ACS was formed in 1982 by Vivienne Bellos their present conductor. This choir was designed to give Jewish amateur singers the opportunity of singing large scale choral works with orchestra without having to work with christological texts. Performances have included the Creation, Elijah and many of Handel’s great oratorios in many prestigious venues. They also sing Jewish settings in Hebrew and have recently given the world premiere of a piece by Julian Dawes, The Death of Moses which the choir commissioned with the help of a JMI Millennium Award.

Alyth Choral Society rehearse on Tuesdays 8:00-10:15pm (temporarily whilst the North Western Reform Synagogue is undergoing building works) at the Unitarian Church Hoop Lane NW11. New members are very welcome and information on how to join the choir can be obtained by ringing the Membership secretary on 020 8455 1732 or email Rodnjude [at] yahoo.com