For the second year in a row, the Queens College Center for Jewish Studies is presenting the annual concert of the Shireinu Choir of Long Island, the largest mixed-voice Jewish choir in the Greater Metropolitan Area.
Cantor Raphael Frieder, a world-renowned singer in both the religious and secular worlds, is a featured soloist. The concert will be held on Sunday, June 9, at 3 p.m. at Lefrak Concert Hall at Queens College.
“Our program this year will incorporate selections in Hebrew, Yiddish and English and will take the audience on a musical journey spanning centuries,” said Deborah Tartell, founding musical director and conductor.
While some of the selections are based on liturgical texts, attendees will also recognize the timeless “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen as well as songs from Gilbert & Sullivan with a Yiddish twist.
A small group of female singers will share a heartfelt rendition of “Bring Him Home” from “Les Miserables.” Featured musicians are Sharon Kahn Bernstein, Joe Brady, Andrew Denise, Deanna Stecker, and Guy Brewer, who has served as accompanist for the Shireinu Choir of Long Island since 2021.
Highlighting the program is the beautiful tenor voice of Cantor Raphael Frieder in Kurt Weill’s piece “Kiddush.” Written in 1950, Weill’s composition is the first synagogue piece to be written in an American popular style, combining Blues and Broadway pop harmonies.
Many will recognize Frieder as the cantor in the movie “Keeping the Faith” as well as the Amazon series “Hunters.” He served as cantor at Temple Israel of Great Neck for over 30 years and is currently the interim director of the H. L. Miller Cantorial School of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America.
The Shireinu Choir of Long Island was formed in 2017 to celebrate Jewish culture through music and song.
The group has performed at the prestigious North American Jewish Choral Festival for three consecutive years. It has been invited to sing the National Anthem at Citifield and aboard the U.S.S. Intrepid.
The Queens College Center for Jewish Studies serves as a bridge between the university and the Queens-Long Island community. It sponsors a wide range of lectures and cultural events throughout the year.
Tickets to the concert are $25 and available through the Kupferberg Center website or by calling the box office at 718-933-8080. (Fees may apply.) For additional information on the Shireinu Choir of Long Island, click here.
