JEWISH EAST END OF LONDON PHOTO GALLERY & COMMENTARY

London's East End Synagogues, cemeteries and more......

My personal journey through the Jewish East End of London

 

Back to Jewish East End of London home page Back to to Jewish East End of London site index A Sephardi Celebration by candle light at Bevis Marks Synagogue in London EC3 - December 2004 Jewish spirituality is alive and well on the Eastern fringes of the City of London! A wonderful evening of choral music was presented by the choir of the Spanish and Portuguese Jews' Congregation of London on the evening of 4 December 2004. As an Ashkenazi Jew many of the tunes were unfamiliar  (with some interesting exceptions!) but the message was not. I’ve always known Adon Olam can be sung to just about any tune (my favourite is to William Blake’s Jerusalem – try it, it works), but hearing it sung on the Bimah by a ‘barbershop’ quintet (not quartet) to the tune of  'Rhapsody in Blue' and 'Way down upon the Swanee River' was something else!   The highlight for me was 'El Norah' – sung in front of the Ark by the wonderful choir.  The traditions of the Spanish and Portuguese (Sephardi) Jews go back to before the tragic expulsion from Spain in 1492.  This concert was a living link to those days.  Pease enjoy my attempt to convey the magic of the evening through my photos.   Click the photos to enlarge Entering Bevis Marks Candelabra and ceiling view from the Ladies' Gallery The synagogue fills as the audience arrive The ark is candelit waiting for the choir to take their place in front of it The Choir of The Spanish & Portuguese Jews' Congregation of London The choir take a bow Sephardi faces in the audience Sephardi melodies played on cello and piano from the Bimah (reading desk) Amazing Barbershop 'quintet' with their unique version of 'Adon Olam' (Eternal God) sung to the tune of 'Rhapsody in Blue' and 'Swanee River' Another view of the Bevis Marks 'Barbershop Quintet' The audience show their appreciation A view of the downstairs of Bevis Marks' sanctuary