A CD of newly discovered recordings by Rev Charles Lowy, has just been released. He was the cantor of the Hampstead Synagogue for 28 years from 1959. The CD is a treasure and aficionados have declared that it is very special to have retrieved some more recordings by one of Britain 's most respected and much-loved cantors. This is the 6th CD on the JMI Jewish Music Heritage Recordings label.

Recorded over forty years ago, the selections include Cantor Lowy's celebrated Sheva B'rochos recorded at London 's Hampstead Synagogue in 1960 during the wedding ceremony of Dudley Cohen, erstwhile choirmaster of Hampstead Synagogue and also founder of the Zemel Choir. Also discovered were renditions of three compositions by the cantor's late grandfather Oberkantor Làzàr Löwy, who served the community in Pápa, North-West Hungary, as chief cantor for 40 years.

Charles Lowy, born in Pressburg, Bratislava , in 1911, studied in religious seminaries before becoming cantor at Munich 's Reichenbach Synagogue, while still studying music and voice production at the Trapp Conservatory. He became chief cantor in Szolnok, Hungary, and later served at Budapest 's Rombach Synagogue, and as assistant chief cantor at the magnificent Dohány Street Synagogue. In 1947, after an arduous period of forced labour in Hungary during the war, he was appointed cantor of the Queens Park Synagogue in Glasgow, Scotland and later joined the Hampstead Synagogue in London where he served as cantor for 28 years, retiring in 1987. He passed away in July 1998.

Also found and published by his family are Cantor Lowy's own stories of his life during the Hitler Era. In this slim volume, called In and Out of Harmony, Cantor Lowy transforms what was a horrific period of European life into 23 gentle, anecdotal tales of when the world went mad, told in a soft minor key. The flashes of humour and irony serve both to relieve his story and underline the darkness of the clouds that gathered around him, as well as to suggest to the reader how his spirit survived its time of trial.

Purchase:

There is a special opportunity to purchase both the CD and the book. This would make a very good Chanukah present.
The CD normally £12.50 will be on offer at £10 (until 31 December 04) and the book, usually £8 at £6.50. As a package you can have the book and CD for £15.00 (all plus postage and packing).

Download the CD and Book order form here

Contact Jewish Music Distribution: orders@jewishmusic-jmd.co.uk or telephone 0800 7811 686 for this and all your Jewish music recording or sheet-music needs.