Our Choir & Music
To find out about joining the choir, click here.
Great Voices
The Great Synagogue Choir is one of the highlights of our shule and enhances the beauty of the prayer service. You can hear us every Shabbat morning, during the High Holidays and at other festival evenings and mornings during the year. Special choral services include: the Law Service in February, Sefirat HaOmer (the choral service for the Counting of the Omer) during Pesach, and weddings where requested.
Tradition
Our male choir follows the unique tradition of western Jewish choral music, especially as it developed in Britain and Australia, creating a modern and specifically Australian expression of Minhag Anglia (the English liturgical style and custom). Our current repertoire draws from classic and contemporary sources. Liturgical composers from the nineteenth century such as Lewandowski, Sulzer, Naumbourg and Mombach can be heard alongside Alman, Rosenblatt, Herstik, Glass, Finkelstein and Goldstein. Our own cantors, choirmasters and choristers have also contributed their own arrangements of traditional pieces over the years.
Our Singers
Jonathan Bruhl, Joseph Ginges, Robert Green, Simon Levenston, Michael Lewis, David Politzer, Jackson Ryder, Yossi Samuell, Alex Walter, Adam Wasiel, Joshua Winestock
High Holiday Additional Choristers
David Brieger, Jesse van Proctor, David Spicer
Choirmaster
Justin Green became Choirmaster in 2018, and has sung in the choir since 2015. He has a Bachelor of Music Studies (Piano Performance) from the Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney. As boys, he and his brother Stuart sang in the North Shore Synagogue choir, with Simon Singer, Reverend Solly Goldberg and Cantor Daniel Sloman.
History
The Great Synagogue has enjoyed a choral service since it was founded in 1878. Rabbi Francis Lyon Cohen, Chief Minister from 1905 to 1934 was also a distinguished musicologist who had a major impact on our choral tradition. Until 1975 it was a mixed choir, and since then it has been comprised of male voices only. For further reading on the history of the choir and music at The Great, click here.
LeDor VaDor
LeDor VaDor: An Album of The Great Synagogue Choir
In 2019, the Great Synagogue Choir and previous Chazzan Joshua Weinberger recorded an a cappella album of music sung during Services at The Great, and in 2020 it was released. Watch snippets of three tracks in the video below, and click here to purchase your physical or digital copy through our webstore, or stream it on any of the major music platforms.
Choir Videos. Great Voices
Choir Videos. Great Voices
Choir Videos. Great Voices
Choir Videos. Great Voices
Join the Choir
The fellowship of the choir provides a unique environment in which you can sing regularly and develop your musicianship. If you can read music, that is an advantage; if you can’t read music but have other musical strengths, you can certainly find a place in our choir.
We encourage all males (8 to 118) to sing with us; engaging through choral music builds confidence and familiarity with our tradition from a unique perspective.
Rehearsal
Wednesdays 18:30 - 20:30
High Holiday rehearsals are slightly longer and commence after Shavuot.
If you think you have what it takes to join us, please contact the Shule to arrange a meeting with Choirmaster Justin Green.
Contact: 9267 2477 or admin@greatsynagogue.org.au
