Leipziger Synagogalchor - Jewish Chants And Songs - Jüdische Gesänge

Tomorrow will be the  84th anniversary of the anti-Jewish pogrom in Nazi Germany and Austria on 9 to 10 November 1938, also known as "Novemberpogrome",
"Reichskristallnacht", "Reichspogromnacht" or "Pogromnacht" in German.

Within living memory music always played a key role as mediator between the nations.
The Synagogue Choir of Leipzig sees its goal in the preservation of synagogue music as well as of Yiddish and Hebrew folk songs by performing the compositions in free arrangements.
The ensemble, which consists of singers of non-Jewish origin, is unique in Europe. It celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2002.
Today as well as in the future the dedication of the Synagogue Choir will be the support of peace, tolerance, and cultural communication between the nations by giving converts all over the world.

The Leipziger Synagogalchor was founded in 1962. Its aim is to cultivate the Jewish music tradition, in particular that of synagogal music of the 19th and 20th centuries as well as Yiddish and Hebrew folklore. Its extensive repertoire of historical literature preserves a cultural heritage which is performed by no other European ensemble in this form. Thus the choir is often called upon to present this part of the cultural and musical history of the Jewish folk to audiences not only in Germany but also world-wide. Increasingly, concert programs also include contemporary compositions of composers such as Joseph Dorfman, Bonia Shur and Siegfried Thiele.
Four records produced by ETERNA, two by MDR and a CD recorded by Berlin Classics offer a representative cross-section of repertoire and demonstrate the professional format of the ensemble.
The combination of artistic and political expression, both weighted equally, in the works interpreted by the Leipziger Synagogalchor under the direction of Kammersänger Helmut Klotz has established the ensemble as a concert-choir which is celebrated world-wide and which serves as a politico-cultural embassador of considerable importance for the city of Leipzig and the state of Saxony.
The Leipziger Synagogalchor has received the golden award “Stern der Völkerfreundschaft“ and the “Kunstpreis“ of the city of Leipzig.
The choir became a registered association in 1991 and receives subsidies from the city of Leipzig and the state of Saxony.
The ensemble has approximately 30 members who are not professional singers but who for the most part have received some professional training. They have diverse occupations and dedicate a large part of their free time to choral music. The personal commitment and idealism of every single member contribute in large part to the success of the ensemble.
In the 30 years Helmut Klotz has been artistic director, he has succeeded in forming the choir into a semi-professional ensemble with a professional artistic scope. This is evident when one sees where the ensemble performs internationally and which acclaimed soloists and orchestras it works with. This choir has the special privilege to perform with solists of the Leipzig, Berlin and Zurich Operas and with members of the Gewandhaus Orchestra and the Radio Orchestra of Middlegermany (MDR) in concert halls such as that of the Berlin Philharmonic, the Berlin “Schauspielhaus“, the “Gasteig“ in Munich, the Leipzig “Gewandhaus“ and the “Alte Oper“ in Frankfurt. Furthermore, the choir has been on concert tours to Israel, South Africa, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Brazil, Slovakia and several times in Poland and the U.S.A. The choir has performed at international festivals for Jewish culkture and music in Odessa, Leverkusen and Munich. A special occasion for the choir was the performance of the international opera production “Der Weg der Verheißung“ of Kurt Weill in Chemnitz, New York and Tel Aviv.
In its hometown Leipzig the ensemble performs twice a year in the series “Leipziger Ware“. Here it is presented through the Ephraim Carlebach Foundation in the “Alte Handelsbörse“. For 25 years it has also taken part in the annual ecumenical service in the Leipzig Church of St. Thomas in memory of the victims of the “Reichsprogromnacht“ November 9, 1938.

This album features recordings from 1983.
Tracklist:

01. Tauraß adaunoj 3:54
02. Ham'chabe eß hamer 6:27
03. Lochen ßomach libi 2:54
04. Ez chajim 2:52
05. Schir hamaalauß 2:26
06. Towau l'fonecho 2:39
07. Naariz'cho 7:36
08. Lomir sich iberbetn 1:52
09. Scha, still 4:10
10. Nigun g-moll 0:56
11. Du sollst nischt gehn 3:20
12. Her nor, du schejn Mejdele 3:43
13. Hages 1:14
14. Itzik hat schojn Chaßene gehot 3:32
15. Wie trinkt der Keßer Tee 5:17

Leipziger Synagogalchor - Jewish Chants And Songs - Jüdische Gesänge
(256 kbps, front cover included)