Cantor Zawel Kwartin -Kiddush Yom Tov

Zavel confesses that, at that time, he had no idea of the range and quality of his voice, nor the richness that was concealed therein. When his turn came to recite the Maftir, he experimented with extemporisations on the 'Rachem al Zion' prayer, and was conscious of some murmuring behind. He was, he explains, quite taken aback when the Gabbai approached him, in the name of the worshippers, to daven Musaph. Overcoming his reluctance, he sang 'Y'kum Purkan' in full voice, and the Chazan and choir accompanied him faithfully. Zavel marvelled at the musicality of the Chazan, a complete stranger, who was able to follow all his colarotures in complete accord. Zavel sets the scene for us: 'The Bet Hamidrash was deadly quiet, and I felt that certain assurance an artist experiences when he feels appreciated'. In particular, he was glad that his father-in-law had not been put to shame Zavel ends this particular chapter of his early life by saying that at the time of writing (l95l) he still recalled the remarkable influence which that unexpected Service had on his future as a 'World Chazan': he sensed that a golden career awaited him. The following Shabbat, he returned to the same Bet Hamidrash to listen to the Chazan Sheni, one Shnirman,then in his sixties, who addressed him as 'colleague'. Subsequently, a son of Shnirman, who had studied and graduated as a pianist at the St.Petersburg Conservatoire, was to give him music lessons. He taught him various arias from the Russian operatic repertoire, and for further development of voice-production, introduced him to a former opera-singer, Madam Anna Pavlovna Bromberg, who was known to the salon-society of St.Petersburg as a famous singer, and who introduced Zavel into aristocratic circles.