לְכָה דוֹדִי
Lekha Dodi
“Come, my Beloved” — welcoming the Sabbath bride
Kabbalat Shabbat · Shelomo Alkabetz · arr. Jacob Hadida
← Projects · The music of the rite
Music · The Western Sephardi Rite
נְעִימוֹת הַתְּפִלָּה
The Choir of Lauderdale Road Synagogue
The choral music of the Spanish and Portuguese rite of London — Sabbath, festival, and the Days of Awe — sung by the choir of the Spanish and Portuguese Jews’ Congregation, at Lauderdale Road, under Hazan Adam Musikant, with choirmasters Maurice Martin and Jason Silver.
About this collection
One of the two companion collections gathered under Western Sephardic Liturgical Classics. Where the Multitrack Recordings of Hazzan Daniel Halfon preserve the rite in a single layered voice, this collection gathers it in chorus: the living choir of the Spanish and Portuguese Jews’ Congregation of London, at Lauderdale Road Synagogue in Maida Vale.
Two albums are gathered here. A Sephardi Celebration is a programme of the rite across the year — Sabbath, the Pilgrimage Festivals, and the Days of Awe — sung with the choir under Hazan Adam Musikant and Choirmaster Maurice Martin. The 2020 Lockdown Recordings were made in the period of the 2020–21 closures, when the choir’s music was sustained voice upon voice while the synagogue could not gather — a traversal of the year from the Sabbath eve through Rosh Hashanah, the penitential season, and the Festivals — directed by Adam Musikant and produced by Choirmaster Jason Silver.
Hazan & Choirmaster
Hazan Adam Musikant & Choirmaster Jason Silver
Hazan Adam Musikant has been Chazan at the Spanish & Portuguese Jews’ Congregation of London since January 2000. He sang in the synagogue choir from the age of six, and between the ages of eight and fourteen trained as a boy treble at the Royal Opera House. He has conducted services for many years — at seventeen he took his first Yom Kippur service at Bevis Marks — mostly at Lauderdale Road; most recently he has researched the music, prepared new editions of the sheet music, and produced a CD of melodies from the liturgy of the Spanish & Portuguese Congregation.
Jason Silver is Choirmaster of Lauderdale Road Synagogue; he produced the choir’s 2020 Lockdown Recordings and conducts it in worship and in performance, shaping the congregation’s choral sound for a new generation of listeners. The earlier album, A Sephardi Celebration, was made with the choir under Choirmaster Maurice Martin.
A Sephardi Celebration
A programme of the Western Sephardi rite across the year — Sabbath, festival, and the Days of Awe. Press play to listen.
The Choir of the Spanish & Portuguese Jews’ Congregation, London · Hazan Adam Musikant · Choirmaster Maurice Martin
אֲדוֹן עוֹלָם
Adon Olam
“Guiding Pathmaker of the world” — the hymn of God’s eternity
Concludes the Musaf · melody by Ḥaham Benjamin Artom
עֵת שַׁעֲרֵי רָצוֹן
Et Shaare Ratson
“When the gates of favour open” — the binding of Isaac
Rosh Hashanah, before the shofar · Judah Samuel Abbas
קַדִּישׁ
Kaddish
The doxology that sanctifies the divine Name
The service
יָהּ שְׁמַע אֶבְיוֹנֶךָ
Yah Shema Ebyonecha
“ADONAI, hear Your humble nation”
Yom Kippur, the afternoon selichot · Yehuda Halevi
יִמְלֹךְ יְיָ לְעוֹלָם
Yimloch
“ADONAI shall reign for ever” (Psalm 146:10)
Prelude to returning the Torah to the Ark
מִזְמוֹר לְדָוִד
Mizmor le-David
Psalm 29 — “Ascribe to ADONAI glory and strength”
The Torah carried back to the Ark · the “continental” tune
הֲשִׁיבֵנוּ
Hashibenu
“Turn us unto You, ADONAI, and we shall return”
As the Torah is set back in the Ark · melody by C. G. Verrinder
בָּרוּךְ הַבָּא
Baruch Haba
“Blessed is the one who comes in the name of ADONAI”
Hallel · Psalm 118:26–29 — the priestly welcome
אֵל נוֹרָא עֲלִילָה
El Nora Alila
“God of awesome deeds” — as the gates are closing
Neʿila, Yom Kippur · Moshe ibn Ezra
יִגְדַּל
Yigdal
“Exalt the living God” — Maimonides’ thirteen essentials of Jewish Belief
Simḥat Torah & Shabbat Bereshit eve · Daniel ben Yehuda
מֵתִים יְחַיֶּה אֵל בְּרֹב חַסְדּוֹ
Metim
“God will revive the dead in great loving-kindness” — the closing stanzas of Yigdal
Coda of Yigdal · arr. Elias Robert Jessurun
אֵין כֵּאלֹהֵינוּ
En Kelohenu
“There is none like our God”
Close of the morning service · the Shabbat of Ḥanukkah · Handel’s ‘See the Conquering Hero Comes’ (Judas Maccabeus)
הַלְלוּיָהּ
Halleluya
“Praise ADONAI” — Psalm 150, the final psalm
Simḥat Torah & Shabbat Bereshit eve · Psalm 150
A Sephardi Celebration — credits
The Choir of the Spanish & Portuguese Jews’ Congregation, London — Choirmaster Maurice Martin · Hazan Adam Musikant.
Trebles Ben Abboudi, Ben Avital, Michael Beder, Joshua Cainer, Sebastian Ereira, Jonathan Garcia, Joseph Grabiner, Ben Greenwold, Nathaniel Greenwold, Alex Hayim, Simon Joseph, Adam Mizrahi. Altos Daniel Decent, Stanley Dias, Laurence Hasson, Adam Osen. Tenors Simon Dias, Alex Dwek, Philip Maurice, Chris Scott. Basses Michael Dias, Robert Garson, Frank Martin, Gideon Osen, Jonathan Sacerdoti, Simon Sacerdoti.
Soloists — Adon Olam: Simon Dias · Yigdal: Philip Maurice, Jonathan Garcia · Halleluyah: Laurence Hasson, Robert Garson, Simon Sacerdoti.
Recorded May 2004 at the Wathen Hall, St Paul’s School, London. Producer Simon Weir · Engineer Morgan Roberts · Executive producer Adam Musikant · Research & sleeve notes Kris Musikant. ℗ & © 2004 The Sephardi Centre.
The 2020 Lockdown Recordings
Recorded in the 2020–21 closures — the choir’s music kept alive, voice upon voice — a traversal of the liturgical year, in order.
The Spanish & Portuguese Jews’ Congregation, London · Directed by Hazan Adam Musikant · Produced by Choirmaster Jason Silver
מִזְמוֹר לְדָוִד
Mizmor le-David
Psalm 29 — “Ascribe to ADONAI glory and strength”
Kabbalat Shabbat
לְכָה דוֹדִי
Lekha Dodi
“Come, my Beloved” — welcoming the Sabbath
Kabbalat Shabbat
מִזְמוֹר שִׁיר לְיוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת
Mizmor Shir le-Yom ha-Shabbat
Psalm 92 — “A song for the Sabbath day”
Kabbalat Shabbat
יְיָ מָלָךְ גֵּאוּת לָבֵשׁ
Adonai Malach
Psalm 93 — “ADONAI reigns, robed in majesty”
Kabbalat Shabbat
וְשָׁמְרוּ · וּבַיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי
Veshamru · Uvayom ha-Sheviʿi
“The People of Israel shall keep the Sabbath”
Shabbat / Festival
יִגְדַּל
Yigdal
“Exalt the living God” — Maimonides’ thirteen essentials of Jewish Belief
Sabbath eve — the old melody
לַמְנַצֵּחַ עַל הַגִּתִּית לְאָסָף
Lamnatzeach al ha-Gittit le-Asaf
Psalm 81 — “Sing aloud to God our strength… sound the shofar at the new moon”
Rosh Hashanah
אָחוֹת קְטַנָּה
Aḥot Ketannah
“The little sister” — “may the year and its curses end”
Rosh Hashanah eve · Abraham Ḥazzan Gerondi
הַשְׁכִּיבֵנוּ
Hashkibenu
“Lay us down in peace, and raise us up to life”
Evening service · Rosh Hashanah
וּבְיוֹם שִׂמְחַתְכֶם
Uvyom Simḥatchem
“On the day of your rejoicing and your festivals” (Numbers 10:10)
Festival
יִגְדַּל
Yigdal
“Exalt the living God”
Rosh Hashanah
אֱלֹהַי אַל תְּדִינֵנִי
Elohai Al Tedineni
“My God, judge me not by my deeds”
Selichot · High Holy Days
Yede Rashim
A piyyut of the Rosh Hashanah morning service
Rosh Hashanah · Shaḥarit
לְמַעַנְךָ אֱלֹהַי
Lemaʿankha Elohai
“For Your own sake, my God, act” — a penitential plea
Selichot
אֵין כֵּאלֹהֵינוּ
En Kelohenu
“There is none like our God”
Rosh Hashanah
אַנְשֵׁי אֱמוּנָה · אֵל מֶלֶךְ יוֹשֵׁב
Anshei Emunah · El Melech · Tamnu
Penitential piyyutim of the Days of Awe
Selichot · Yom Kippur
חָטָאנוּ צוּרֵנוּ
Ḥatanu Tsurenu
“We have sinned, our Rock — forgive us, our Maker”
Selichot · Yom Kippur
מְיֻחָד בְּאֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה
Meyuḥad be-Ehyeh asher Ehyeh
“Unified in Ehyeh asher Ehyeh” — God, distinguished in the self-revelation “I Am That I Am” (Exodus 3:14)
Selichot · Yom Kippur
אֵין מִי יֹאמַר לוֹ מַה תַּעֲשֶׂה
En Mi Yomar Lo
“None may say to Him: What doest Thou?” — of God’s sovereign justice
Selichot · Yom Kippur
וְאַתָּה צַדִּיק עַל כָּל הַבָּא עָלַי
Ve-atah Tsaddik
“You are righteous over all that has befallen me” (Nehemiah 9:33)
Yom Kippur — the confession
וַעֲדַיִן לֹא שַׁבְנוּ מִטָּעוּתֵנוּ
Ve-ʿadayin lo shavnu mi-taʿutenu
“And still, we have not turned back from our error”
Selichot · Yom Kippur
לַמְנַצֵּחַ מַשְׂכִּיל לִבְנֵי קֹרַח
Lamnatzeach Maskil
Psalm 42 — “As the deer longs for streams of water, so my soul longs for You, O God”
Sukkot
אֵלֶּה מוֹעֲדֵי יְיָ
Eleh Moʿade Hashem
“These are the appointed festivals of ADONAI” (Leviticus 23:4)
Festivals
הַשְׁכִּיבֵנוּ
Hashkibenu
“Lay us down in peace”
Evening service · Festivals
יִגְדַּל
Yigdal
“Exalt the living God”
Festivals
הַלְלוּ · הוֹדוּ · לֵךְ לְשָׁלוֹם
Hallelu · Hodu · Lech Leshalom
Hallel and thanksgiving, and a melody of parting
Sukkot
תְּהִלַּת יְיָ
Tehillat Adonai
“My mouth shall speak the praise of ADONAI” (Psalm 145:21)
Morning service
יִגְדַּל
Yigdal
“Exalt the living God” — a second melody
Closing hymn
In the living tradition
This music is the prayer of a living rite. It is sung today at Kehillah Kedoshah Zikhron Zvi, the egalitarian Western Sephardi congregation of the Hudson Valley — the community at the endpoint of the Program’s Sephardi Liturgy project.