Kehilat
Middlesbrough Newsletter No 24 February 2008 page 2 (of 11)
Rev
Bernard Kersh Recordings (1987 & 1989) - The Background Story
Some of you may have heard the recordings of Rev Bernard
Kersh (which can be found elsewhere on this site at
http://www.kmbro.org/Newsletters_p102.htm) and wondered how the
recordings actually came to be made, so I thought I would share the
background with Kehilat Middlesbrough readers.
In October 1987, Natalie Bookey and I got engaged. At
that time, Natalie was living with her parents, Bernard & Beryl in
Radlett and she thought it would be nice to visit Middlesbrough, see the
shul and town where she grew up and spend a few hours with Rev Kersh.
Shortly after getting engaged, I was asked by the wardens
of Radlett shul to daven for that community for the Yamim Nora’im, which
fell just after our wedding date the following year. On hearing of our
planned visit to Middlesbrough, together with my appointment for Rosh
Hashanah and Yom Kippur, my future mother-in-law, suggested that when I
met Rev Kersh, I might ask him to teach me a couple of melodies which I
could use in Radlett over the High Holydays.
After making the arrangements for our New Year’s Eve
visit, we duly arrived at Rev Kersh’s house with a sense of excitement
for an eagerly anticipated tea (cassette recorder hidden in the car just
in case the opportunity arose to record some of his beautiful melodies).
After a very pleasant hour or so, during which time
Natalie and Rev Kersh chatted about people I didn’t know, recalled
incidents that meant nothing to me and discussed places I had never
heard of, I mentioned to Rev Kersh my upcoming appointment in Radlett.
I told him that as a Sephardi boy, who grew up in an Oriental Synagogue,
I was in need of some help to learn a few Ashkenazi niggunim for
the High Holydays.
After some initial reluctance (“I’m too old for this” &
“It’s so long since I have sung for anyone - I can’t remember all the
tunes”), Rev Kersh enthusiastically got out his Machzorim (whilst
I dashed to the car to get the cassette recorder) and then he started to
sing.
Although not as young as he was, the clarity of his sweet
voice, his beautiful melodies and the many lovely little touches, in
both timing and cadence, showed me what a wonderful chazzan he
must have been.
As soon as he launched into the nusach for Rosh
Hashanah, he became animated and really started to enjoy himself,
treating us to edited musical highlights from his “Melodies of the
Jewish Year” collection. He moved into Yom Kippur and then on to the
various Yom Tovim before ending with Shabbat (after a
detour into Megillat Esther & Eicha). His singing was peppered
with helpful comments and advice, all given in a most gentlemanly
manner, which gave me an insight into what a very special man he was.
We indeed spent a wonderful afternoon in his company.
Shortly after our visit, Rev Kersh moved to Bournemouth
and we followed up the Middlesbrough recording with another session in
the New Ambassador Hotel, where he normally spent Shabbat.
Although some 2 years older than when we first met, he still sung
beautifully and with the exception of some unfortunate tannoy
announcements, we were able to capture some more of Rev Kersh’s
wonderful melodies and mannerisms.
I am grateful to Michael Bharier for breaking down two
long and unmanageable recordings into individual pieces, so that the
beautiful davening of one of England’s finest unsung chazzanim
can still be heard and enjoyed by visitors to this website.
