Patron: Rev. Reuben Turner

The London Cantorial Singers were formed by Ian Lyons in 1995, in order to promote and perpetuate his love of traditional liturgical music, which is vanishing into obscurity from today's synagogue services. The aim of the Choir is to perform synagogue music, once popular but now rarely heard, as far as possible in the composer's original settings.

The Choir was originally directed by David Hilton and subsequently by Michael Simon, Chazan of the Edgware Yeshurun Synagogue. In 1997 the baton passed to our present conductor David Druce. David has over 40 years experience of Jewish choral singing. For 12 years he was the conductor of the Belmont Synagogue Choir and in 2005 became choirmaster of Wembley United Synagogue.

Our members are drawn from synagogue and other Jewish choirs in Greater London and include several chazanim, notably David Shine, formerly from North Hendon Adath Yisroel Synagogue and Henry Black from Stanmore United Synagogue.

We have sung with guest chazanim including the world famous Tel-Aviv based Cantor Chayim Adler and other international Cantors, Benjamin Muller from Antwerp and Cantors Helfgot, Ashdod and Helman of Basle, Switzerland. We have also been associated with many UK based guest Chazanim including Avromi Freilich, Dov Speier, Gedalya Alexander and Geoffrey Shisler.

We have performed across the whole range of Jewish events including concerts, musical evenings, Selichot and Sefirah services, full chazan-choral Shabbat services, Weddings, Bat Chayil and Bar Mitzvah services. Our repertoire also includes Israeli and Yiddish popular songs.