Welcome to the website of the European Cantors Association
Patrons: Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis; Cantor Naftali Herstik, Cantor Joseph Malovany

Magnified and Sanctified: The Music of Jewish Prayer II
The 2nd International Conference on Jewish Liturgical Music

Hannover University of Music, Drama and Media, Germany

Monday 9th to Thursday 12th September 2019

Call for Papers

Cantors In Prague for 12th Convention!

Our prague convention in November was a great success!

Cantor Naftali Herstik, Chief Cantor Emeritus of the Great Synagogue in Jerusalem and programme Director Hirsh Cashdan devised a stunning few days of study and sharing, combining the old with the new for the High Holydays.

Naftali’s topics included 7 ways to sing Ata Nigleta, and 3 composers of Un’tane Tokef: Lewandowsky to Rosenblatt to Rosenbloom. Naftali also led a session with the fabulous Tel Aviv Cantorial Institute Choir on Yamim Noraim repertoire.  They were also the stars of the Gala Concert and the core of the choral and cantorial Shabbat services in Prague’s beautiful Spanish Synagogue on Shabbat Parashat Vayishlach.

Guest presenters included Professor Mark Kligman, (Micky Katz Professor of Jewish music at the University of California, LA) on American trends and Daniel Rudas on how it is done in Hungary. Cantor Beny Maissner of Toronto's Holy Bossom Temple looked over his intrepretation of the Yamim Noraim liturgy. Cantor Yehudah Marx of Manchester analysed rare recordings of Kol Nidre, Daniel Katz tackled the technically intense subject of Meshorerim, and Michael Jollies previewed his soon to be published work on a history of British Chazanim Past and Present

Then there were the outstanding musicians and accompanists Raymond Goldstein and Yotam Segal

There was wonderful cantorial music in both the Friday evening and Shabbat morning services, an intimate concert on the Thursday evening and a gala concert at the Spanish Synagogue on the Saturday night, featuring (among many others) Gideon Zelermeyer from Montreal and Greg Nogradi from Budapest. 

And being Prague, which has a weighty Jewish past, on Friday afternoon, Rabbi Michael Dushinsky acquainted us with all the history and took the group on a tour of historic Jewish Prague

The convention was also a financial success and we express our deep appreciation to our co-organisers :ICJW, Czech Affiliate

and to our DONORS & PARTNERS 
Under the auspices of H.E. Mr. Daniel Meron, Ambassador of The State of Israel to The Czech Republic 
HULYA/CER, A.s.b.l., www.hulya.lu  With the encouragement of Hulya/cer
MATANEL, www.matanel.org
With the encouragement and the support of Matanel Foundation
and
Jewish Community in Prague & Rabbinate of the Jewish Community; The Ministry of Culture, Government of The Czech Republic; Federation of the Jewish Communities in the Czech Republic
Chabad-Lubavich Center, Prague; Jewish Museum, Prague
Tel Aviv Cantorial Institute, TACI;  International Council of Jewish Women Czech Affiliate, ICJW
Jewish Music Institut, JMI-SOAS, University of London; Franz Kafka Centre, Prague; Peregrine, Israel; Inbar s.r.o., Prague
Ulrich Hartmann, Switzerland; Evan Lazar, Prague; Yoram Abraham, Prague; D.K., Prague; Dr. Daniel Espitia, Republic of Colombia - Prague; Jacob Schimmel, London - Jerusalem
Dr. David Lifschitz, Jerusalem; Rabbi Boaz Shear-Yashuv, Adv., Jerusalem

Our special thanks to ECA Convenor and Conference Organiser, Alex Klein  Programme Coordinator, Hirsh Cashdan Hospitality Barbara Rosenberg
Prague Coordinators, Alice Gruenfeld-Vesela, Rabbi Dr Michael Dushinsky

ECA is based on orthodox tradition and convention, and so the 2018 event as usual followed this approach.
Thie convention however was open to all who are interested in the music of the synagogue and the role and art of the cantor and thus we continue to welcome cantors from other branches of Judaism also.

Now available on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgxbITknaA8

MY FATHER, THE CANTOR
Reverends Moshe Korn, Charles Lowy, Pinchas Faigenblum, M H Taylor
Chair Rabbi Geoffrey Shisler

Those who grew up in the post war era will remember synagogue services which were led by a professionally trained cantorate, often accompanied by well-trained choristers. It was an era when Jewish liturgical music was dominated by the ‘Blue Book’ which encouraged a shared musical heritage where people knew the appropriate modes and chants for each occasion. In this session, just before the High Holidays, the grown-up children of the well-known cantors of that period will talk about their fathers and play some of their music.
This event took place shortly before Rosh Hashanah. The recording is now available.

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David Koussevitsky Nusach Book Available

The Toronto Council of Hazzanim has released a compillation of nusach - a few pieces all hand written by David Koussevitsky (1912 - 1985) and given to Eli Kirshblum in 1963-1964 when he studied privately with him.

If anyone wants a copy, please send $30 USD payable to the Toronto Council of Hazzanim, c/o Cantor Kirshblum, 37 Southbourne Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, M3H 1A4, Canada.

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Exploring the Power of Bible Cantillation in the Vernacular

An experimental avenue. More here.

European Cantors On Twitter

Additional Resources:

<<<-- Cantor A M Himelstein Sheet Music Compilation Now Available

DVDs now available to buy from the 6th Cantors Convention in 2011

Links to other cantorial-related sites

Shuls With A Cantor In The United Kingdom (please advise of any changes)

ECA was officially launched on 2 July 2012 at the 7th Annual European Cantors' Convention Manchester UK 2 - 5 July 2012,
by Cantor Joseph Malovany of the 5th Avenue Synagogue New York.

Cantor Malovany is also Professor of Liturgical Music at Yeshiva University and co-Director of the Moscow Academy for Liturgical Music.

ECA is based on orthodox tradition and convention
but is open to all who are interested in the music of the synagogue and the role and art of the cantor.

Join the European Cantors Association Join the European Cantors Association for £10 /€15 per year.

* See the facebook pages for ECA www.facebook.com

Last Updated 9th December 2018