Stanmore Transported from Chazanut to BroadwayPublished on United Synagogue (https://www.theus.org.uk)

Stanmore Transported from Chazanut to Broadway Chanukah was celebrated with a concert at Stanmore Synagogue in partnership with The Associationof Jewish Ex-Servicemen and Women.

Entitled “From Chazanut to Broadway” the evening featured world renowned violinist Miriam Kramerand The Kramer Camerata, with Stanmore’s talented pianist Joshua Nesbitt and Chazan Jonny Turgel.

In introducing Miriam Kramer, compere Lewis Bloch told how she started to play the violin at the ageof four, giving her first public performance of Mozart’s Violin Concerto aged 7. She has sinceperformed at Carnegie Hall, the Lincoln Centre, The Barbican, for the BBC and now StanmoreSynagogue’s Freeman Susman Hall. Lewis also introduced members of the accompanying 7 pieceorchestra.

The programme started with the Kramer Camerata’s foot tapping Jewish medley entitled “songs ofour people” followed by a Carlebach arrangement of Han’shama Lach with Jonny Turgel.

After the last night Chanukah lighting with the audience joining in with Moaz Tzur, the programmecontinued with a Hallel selection and Avinu Malkeinu from the Yom Kippur service.

Then the mood changed dramatically with The Camerata’s performance of Hungarian Dance no. 5 byBrahms. Just before this, Miriam Kramer told how Brahms was very pro Jewish in times when therewas a lot of antisemitism where he lived.

Joshua Nesbitt’s piano medley of American popular favourites, including music from Porgy and Besswas also very well received by the audience.

The multi lingual Jonny Turgel slipped seamlessly through the programme of chazanut, broadwaymusicals and even a little opera, showing that Hebrew, Italian and English were no barrier to goodmusic. Miriam Kramer’s solo violin performance of Shindler’s list accompanied by Nicolas Durcan onpiano was quite haunting, followed by the foot tapping classical Czardas by Monti which she warnedthe audience to “hang on to your seats”.

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Stanmore Transported from Chazanut to BroadwayPublished on United Synagogue (https://www.theus.org.uk)

Jonny’s rendition of Bring Him Home from Les Miserables brought home some happy memories ofStanmore’s Purim Spiel “Les Miserabbis” in which Jonny himself appeared as “the chazan”.

The visiting orchestra and Jonny Turgel received a standing ovation after the last piece of “AvinuShebashamayim” and there were calls for an encore. The audience were not to be disappointed asJonny started singing “Oseh Shalom”. He seemed to expect the audience to join in which theyhappily obliged, swaying on their feet. It was certainly a fitting end to the eighth night of Chanukah.

Glynis Kuzuk

Date Uploaded: Thursday 17th December 2015

Source URL: https://www.theus.org.uk/article/stanmore-transported-chazanut-broadway

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