January 2012

Shabbaton Choir Hits All The Right Notes

It was an afternoon to remember and a concert to cherish, when London-based Shabbaton Choir came to sing their hearts out at the United Hebrew Congregation on Sunday.

The event, the brain child of UHC Chazan Albert Chait and organised by the Shadwell Lane shul brought together the world renowned choir and four great voices.

The tremendous amount of £15 000 was raised with proceeds split between the Shul and Leeds Jewish Welfare Board.

Joining Chazan Chait and the choir were Rabbi Lionel Rosenfeld of Marble Arch synagogue in London, Chazan Jonny Turgel from Stanmore Synagogue and twelve-year old boy soloist Gideon Caplan.

This song-fest was as uplifting and moving a concert as any we are likely to listen to this year.

In a pitch-perfect performance Shabbaton sang with a purity of tone that lifted the choral singing bar towards the top notch.

In a beautifully devised programme consisting of traditional, religious and modern songs and hymns, a packed shul was in seventh heaven as the charismatic choir sang well known pieces from weekday and Sabbath services.

Musical director Stephen Levey’s most popular composition Oseh Shalom, sung by the choir and released on YouTube last year has become a global hit, reaching some 1.38 million downloads.

Rabbi Lionel Rosenfeld, his voice tinged with emotion and quite often jumping in the air with sheer glee, added a touch of splendour to an intensely exhilarating programme that prompted the capacity crowd of 400 to give the afternoon’s entertainment a well deserved standing ovation.    

Guests of Honour were Liz and Simon Minton and Angela and Jeremy Shulman.

Words By John Fisher

Photo L to R

Openers Jeremy & Angela Shulman, Guests of Honour Liz & Simon Minton with Chazan Alby Chait of UHC and members of the Shabbaton Choir