Voices join in joyful tribute to Lurie

The sounds of Jewish singing brought Sandton’s Theatre on the Square to life on Sunday 1 November as iconic music director Evelyn Green brought together chazzonim, choir masters, choristers, and musicians for a heartfelt tribute to her friend, the late Professor Russel Lurie, former chairperson of the Johannesburg Jewish Male Choir. 

Answering Green’s invitation without hesitation were chazzonim Avron Alter of Sandton Shul, Elton Krawitz of Waverley Shul, Ezra Sher of Pine Street Shul, and Ivor Joffe of Marais Road Shul in Sea Point. They were joined by guest conductor and soloist George Mxadana, musical director of Soweto’s Imilonji KaNtu Choral Society and a musical collaborator and longstanding friend of both Green and Lurie. 

Green curated an accessible and varied repertoire in Hebrew, Yiddish, English, and Russian, combining beloved Jewish melodies, choral favourites, and songs from the stage. Many were Lurie’s personal favourites, including the Russian folk song Kalinka, the humorous Yiddish song Benzine, and Baruch Levine’s V’Zakeini. 

With Rabbi David Shaw of Sandton Shul serving as master of ceremonies, the concert opened with a lively rendition of Shehecheyanu sung by all four soloists and the choir. This was followed by a stirring Mi Shebeirach for the soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces, sung by Alter. 

Each soloist brought his own character and artistry to the programme. Krawitz performed Meir Finkelstein’s V’al Kulam in an ethereal arrangement by Stephen Glass, while the choir’s repertoire included Louis Lewandowski’s choral classic Tzadik Katamar. Joffe brought warmth to the Yiddish selections, delighting the audience with Aaron Lebedeff’s Roumania, as well as Der Rebbe Elimelech and Benzine. Sher joined the choir for a moving rendition of V’Zakeini, before all the soloists came together with the choir to close the first half with Leonard Cohen’s much-loved Hallelujah. 

The choir comprised 25 choristers, including present and past choirmasters Josh Friedman, Dennis Goldman, Philip Kalmonowitz, Dean Murenik, Gerald Nochumsohn, Maish Preskow, Joel Sacher, and Daniel Tucker. 

The voices of Stan Bonner, Ken Braude, Leon Fine, Dave Friedland, Aubrey Gamsu, Rabbi Ari Kievman, Rabbi Anton Klein, Charles Krengel, Lance Levin, Lionel Milstein, Errol Mindel, Paul Minsker, Ivor Sacks, Jonathan Shapiro, Marc Shapiro, Ivan Solomon, and Jed Starkowitz completed the ensemble. 

Green was the driving force behind the entire production, having created each musical arrangement in four parts, for tenor one, tenor two, bass one, and bass two. She also arranged each piece for the respective chazzonim, as well as for the musical ensemble, comprising a violinist, cellist, flautist, and herself, in her own indomitable style, playing piano and simultaneously conducting the choir with aplomb. 

The second half continued with a choral arrangement of Paul Simon’s Sounds of Silence and Mxadana’s exceptional performance of Kalinka. Krawitz delivered an emotional Bring Him Home from Les Misérables, sung in Hebrew, while Alter charmed the audience with an animated rendition of If I Were a Rich Man from Fiddler on the Roof. 

Sher performed the Eurovision favourite Hallelujah La’Olam, a song Lurie himself had sung many times. The concert drew to a close with all four soloists and the choir performing Finkelstein’s Avinu Shebashamayim, a prayer for Israel. This was followed by Adon Olam and the communal singing of Acheinu, bringing performers and audience together in a shared moment of reflection and connection. 

The sold-out audience and thunderous applause spoke to the thirst and appetite for live Jewish choral music. Lurie’s much-loved maxim “Ivdu et Hashem b’simcha (Serve the Lord with joy)” found fitting expression throughout the afternoon. Through music, friendship, and communal spirit, his memory was honoured with precisely that joy. 

Each individual voice, including those not specifically mentioned, resonated like a gem, creating a collective sound to be remembered and to carry the flame forward for years to come.