Yigal Calek and the London School of Jewish Song, who wowed crowds across the globe over the span of decades, joined together once more on the last night of Chanukah to regale both themselves and their audience with song and music.
Calek, a sixth grade rebbi, composer, and musical director, released his first album (Ma Navu) in 1970 with his London Pirchim Choir (which later morphed into the London School of Jewish Song), and followed it up with many more albums filled with songs that have become classics in the Jewish music genre.
Yigal Calek and the London School of Jewish Song were not only revolutionary with their contribution of songs to the Jewish world, but were also a key player in the advent of the frum concert; prior to the London School of Jewish Song’s concert performances in the early 1970’s, musical events were almost exclusively held in the basements of shuls.
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20 Responses
This is the kind of news worthy of writing an article about!
wow the kids are grandfathers now
And that is without the latest idiotic ומניח בקדושה dance, oh Yigal bring ’em back, you’ll put a lot of singers to shame
Today’s wedding is more like a concert, Choson and Kalloh sitting lonely whilst everyone is watching the band and so called music which is nothing more than programmed to pierce your ears, and the more actions the Shpieler is doing the more he TOIGS ZICH,
דור עיקש ופתלתול
Still sound beautiful!!
I remember hearing them on morning radio when Jewish radio was worth listening to.
Yigal…We’re getting old …BH
Remember the simple days when Jewish music was real Jewish music? Yigal Calek’s music was a part of my childhood and many others who were fortunate to experience real Jewish music not immitations of wild fargrebte music.
Mizmor ledovid
https://youtu.be/jpq0NLGZtIw
Beautiful….
People, pay attention to the quality of these songs. The melodies and what they do to your neshama. THIS is Jewish Music my friends…
Oy chaval al deabdan!!!
Try and get a kid today to listen to this, they will look at us in bewilderment and make weird faces. They much prefer the song of Ashamnu to a cool techno beat while they are vaping and riding their hoverboards.
But for us old timers, at least we can enjoy this authentic jewish music flavor
What a shock to see the passage of the years as those boys appear looking like zaydehs. They should all be gebentshed and be zocheh to gezunt and many more years singing with their families. Yigal Calek presented Jewish music as it was meant to be.
OMG. Such memories. We all grew up listening to Yigal’s records back in the 1970’s. Music everyone could listen to. I remember just sitting in front of our record player holding the record jacket in my hands looking at the back with the songs and pictures of the kids in the choir while listening to both sides of the record. Real pure sounds coming from original musical instruments as well. There was no synthesized music or other shtick in the 70’s. Thanx for sharing. Yigal, and the entire London School of Jewish Music should be gibenched with arichas yomim vishanim!
Thank you! I”H repeat 10 years from now!
boy, does this bring back beautiful memories of the early 70’s.
thanks YW for sharing
Oh what I would’ve paid to be there…not stam
A most amazing and moving evening;
As a 70s, 80s and even 90s (adult choir) member, I also have the privilege to be a close family friend.
There was and still is, just quite nothing like having sung, harmonized, performed, played guitar to and even having conducted, to Yigal’s songs and talents.
From KOL BERAMA, Chamol and Lechu Vanim, to Ashira L’Hashem, Ko Amar, Anim Zmirot and an army of many more unforgettable melodies, this is what authentic music is all about.
Thank you, Yigal Yisrael Ben Blima Gittel.
May HKBH shower you with nachas and a refuah shleimah, bekarov!
WOW. What nostalgia and memories. Loved seeing this all. Recall many of my brothers classmates who were in the choir during the years, and I grew up with all the songs and the LP records and beautiful tunes.
Even had Yigal Calek as our teacher in Hasmonean Primary School singing songs with us, before he became well known.
Wishing everyone on this clip continued good health ‘Ad Meah V’esrim’.
Wow! Oh how I wish I was there! Shloime Richmond on guitar, Yossi Fachler, Hershy Stimler, Yossi Klein, Avrumi Stern, The Goldbergs Doniel and Uri, Steed Vershavsky, Neil Shiff, Dudi Feld and of course Duvid Calek and so so many more talented singers….
Yigal is simply a melodic genius, not a single song you just don’t love! He is literally a gift to our generation.
Yigal -have a refuoh shelemoh! From Dons Hool…..
@Git Meshige thank you for your world class comment!
Best comment I’ve ever read on this site!
“Oy chaval al deabdan!!!
Try and get a kid today to listen to this, they will look at us in bewilderment and make weird faces. They much prefer the song of Ashamnu to a cool techno beat while they are vaping and riding their hoverboards.
But for us old timers, at least we can enjoy this authentic jewish music flavor”
What a special part of my childhood! As a young boy in NY I once auditioned for Reb Yigal over the phone- and he liked what he heard..but then he heard that I lived in Far Rockaway and wondered exactly how it would work! So, he encouraged me to try out for The New York School of Jewish Song, which I did- and joined with that choir. Watching this video was reliving such a tremendous t’kufa in authentic Jewish music and was so pleasantly nostalgic! HKBH should continue to bless Reb Yigal with arichas yomim!!