Synagogue Music > Reviews

A Chazanic Experience!
Hirsh Cashdan reports on the Third JMI European Cantors Convention 2008

What soloist would consider singing virtually non stop for 24 hours while fasting and without even a little water to lubricate the voice? This is just one of the specific challenges facing an orthodox chazan which was addressed at this year's JMI European Cantors Convention themed on the Yamim Nora'im (high holydays).

The guest presenters this year were from Israel from whence we had at last prized Cantor Naftali Herstik and his Musical Director Raymond Goldstein - both from the Great Synagogue in Jerusalem. They joined two distinguished chazanim and teachers from the UK - Rabbi Geoffrey Shisler and Cantor Moshe Haschel. The Convention attracted over 50 participants from many different countries - Germany, Denmark, South Africa, the Czech Republic and Canada - as well as Israel and many parts of the UK. They commented 'It was wonderful to get close to such chazanim and get so much good advice. The chance to hear a master chazan share his insights is a great experience'. 'This is very important for the future so that Jewish music will not be forgotten'

Other comments on their evaluation forms, like the headline above, showed that this year's convention was a great success on many levels: 'Over and above what I learned, which I found useful and informative, the convention was also enjoyable from a social perspective, reconnecting as I did with old friends and making new ones, as well as a constructive forum to refocus and reinvigorate what we are all doing.' 'The dinner on Wednesday followed by singing reminded me of the old days when there were many chazanim in London who gathered each Chanukah for similar evenings'.

Apart from the main faculty there were a number of external speakers who provided informative and practical, medical and artistic advice on voice management, problem avoidance and training. Perhaps the most thought provoking session this year was provided by Stephen Glass who had been so instrumental in structuring the previous years' conventions. His wake-up call to the attendees to ensure they make and keep their singing fresh and suitable for the sophisticated age in which we live was a challenge well received by the majority of the highly varied attendees who ranged widely in age and experience.

One of the participant summed up the feelings at the Cantors Convention when he said 'What a treat it was to participate in the JMI European Cantors' Convention. … What I enjoyed most of all was the chance to go through chunks of davening in preparation for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. Many thanks Hirsh and the team for three great days, an enormous effort in organisation, I can't wait for the next one, I'm hooked!!

This Cantors Convention was planned and run by Tephilharmonic - the organisation set up in 2007 by a nucleus of practitioners and enthusiasts inspired into action by the first JMI European Cantors Convention in 2006, with the aim of preserving and developing traditional synagogue music in UK Orthodox communities. It is affiliated to the Jewish Music Institute and has the endorsement of the United Synagogue.

Julian Klein Memorial Concert
'I found it enthralling, beautiful, cleansing and it made me proud….'

On the eve of the Convention, Tephilharmonic held a Cantorial Concert at Finchley Synagogue in memory of Rabbi Julian Klein who died suddenly last year. As many as 16 cantors came forward to join Naftali Herstik and to be accompanied by Raymond Goldstein in paying tribute to the young Rabbi who loved chazanut. A full synagogue relished a veritable feast of Cantorial music and members of the public were moved to write: 'We were all impressed by the quality of the singing, and enjoyed the whole evening (although the journey up from South London was horrendous!). The musical skills and emotional commitment of the singers was outstanding' and 'We had absolutely no inkling of the stupendously joyous evening in store. I can safely say it was one of the most gorgeous evenings I have ever had and speaking on behalf of my husband, I can tell you that he was completely spellbound, as indeed was I. It was also the most wonderful way to acknowledge the late Rabbi Julian Klein. This was my first real experience of Chazanut. I suppose it is out of the question that such a wonderful event could ever happen again? If it does, you can count on us being there!'

Julian Klein Tephilharmonic Cantorial Scholarship 2009

The concert raised funds for Tephilharmonic to offer a one year Julian Klein Memorial Scholarship to the Tel Aviv Cantorial Institute (TACI) for someone to study chazanut under Cantor Naftali Herstik, Raymond Goldstein, Cantor Chaim Feifel and other dedicated and talented teachers (see http://www.taci.org.il/ for more details). The scholarship will be for a minimum of £2,000 and will pay for the TACI tuition fees and some additional private tuition which the faculty have agreed to give. More funds might be available in deserving/needy cases. To see more about the scholarship and how to apply go to the Tephilharmonic website http://www.tephilharmonic.org/uk/ycoycomp