Miami Boys Choir

The Miami Boys Choir (MBC) is a contemporary Jewish religious music boys choir.

Miami Boys Choir
The choir performing in 2007 at a 30th Anniversary Concert.
Background information
OriginMiami Beach, Florida
GenresContemporary Jewish religious music
Years active1977 (1977) - Present

History

In the early 1970s while studying in Yeshivah in Toronto, Yerachmiel Begun created, directed, and recorded three successful albums with the Toronto (Pirchei) Boys Choir. However, in 1976 formed by Yerachmiel Begun as well, the Miami Boys Choir was part of a larger surge in popularity of Orthodox Jewish choral music.[1] The use of an all-boy choir is related to a common interpretation of Orthodox Jewish Law (Halachah) of Kol Isha which they hold prohibits males above the age of majority from listening to non- familial females singing even on audio recordings.[2][3].

While the group was formed in Miami Beach, Florida, after releasing the first few albums, Begun moved the choir to New York. Although he retained the "Miami" in the name of the group, subsequent albums were released with boys primarily from the New York/New Jersey area.[1]

Yerachmiel Begun was the composer for almost all of the songs featured on his Toronto and Miami albums. In addition, he had composed many songs for a number of other Jewish music singers and groups including Simchatone, Kol Salonika (with Rabbi Boruch Chait), Kol Hakavod, Camp S'dei Chemed International, Mordechai Ben David, and Ira Heller. In 1981, creating a fresh new modern sound in Jewish Music, Yerachmiel composed the songs for the group and hit album title "Judaea". At the 6th annual HASC A Time For Music concert in 1993, paying tribute to Jewish composers, Begun was listed and mentioned as one of the Top Ten Composers of Jewish Music. Yerachmiel has worked side by side with a number of arrangers for his compositions, including Yisroel Lamm (the Neginah Orchestra), Suki Berry, Moshe Laufer, Mona Rosenblum, Hershel Lebovits, Vladimir Grinberg, and others.

Over the years, the choir's imaging has changed with the times. Originally called the "Miami Choir Boys," its name has alternated between "Miami Boys Choir" and "Yerachmiel Begun and the Miami Boys Choir." In addition, the album titles have slowly changed over time from just Hebrew titles (i.e., B'syata D'shamaya) to English and Hebrew together (e.g., Torah Today) and finally to the present format, which places "Miami" before the title (i.e., Miami Moshiach).

Compared to mainstream artists, the choir has not had spectacular results in terms of sales. However, in the Jewish music world, they are recognized as a success story. An example is their album released in 2005, Miami Revach, which reportedly sold over 15,000 copies in the first few weeks alone.[4]

DVDs

Since very early on, the choir has released DVD and VHS versions of their live albums. In 2005, "Miami Revach" was released in High-definition video.

Prominent soloists and alumni

Discography
Title[1][15] Year released Comments
Victory Entebbe 1976 Commemorating the miraculous victory at Entebbe.
Miami Meets Toronto 1978 Prior to starting the Miami Boys Choir, Yerachmiel Begun lived and directed a choir in Toronto, Ontario.
Miami Live 1980 Contains the now classic slowly sung "Baruch Hagever" which was originally recorded and featured on Kol Hakavod (circa 1976-'77), Toronto Boys Choir 3 (1979), The Chevra (1982) and later more famously sung solo by Ari Goldwag at Miami Experience 2 (1992).
B'Siyata Dishmaya 1984 Contains the first MBC hit song "B'Siyata Dishmaya".
Klal Yisroel - Together 1987
Shabbos Yerushalayim 1988 One of the soloists, Avraham Willig, is now a Menahel Ruchani in Bircas HaTorah and in 2013 released a CD Lev Avos
Torah Today 1990 Contains the wedding hit "Od Yishoma" and "P'sach Libi"
Miami Experience 1 1991 The first of the "Miami Experience" albums featuring live concerts. All containing special guest performers in Jewish Music.
Miami Experience 2 1992 Featuring The Hit Play: "ON THE ROAD TO YERUSHALAYIM".
It's Min Hashamayim 1993 Contains two of the most popular and lasting MBC songs; "Ani Ma'amin" and "Lo Yisa Goy".
Miami Experience 3 1993 Featuring the presentation: "WHEN MOSHIACH COMES", and a production containing nostalgia of Yerachmiel's earlier compositions, "THE EARLY YEARS".
Miami Experience 4 - Shiru Lo 1994 Contains MBC hit "Nekadesh" , and two new productions: "THE HAGGADAH", and "AROUND THE WORLD WITH MBC".
One By One 1995 Contains MBC hits "Chasdei Hashem" and "Sunshine"
Miami Experience 5 1995 15,000 people attended the Miami Experience 5 concert at the Nassau Coliseum, celebrating 20 years of Yerachmiel and the Choir.
The Simcha Song 1997 Contains MBC hit Adon Olam
Chanukah - Light up the Nights 1997 Featuring MBC hit "Yaaleh V'yavoh". This album featured five new songs and instrumental versions of those same songs.
Stand Up 1999 Featuring MBC hit "Hine Ma Tov"
Yerushalayim - Can You Hear Our Voice 2001 A collection of songs from the past of Miami, and two new recordings. All the songs surround the idea of the centrality of Jerusalem to the Jewish nation.
Bederech Hatorah - We Will Prevail 2001 An album that set the stage for a number of rising stars. The song "Lo B'Ruach Hashem" exceeds seven minutes. Yerachmiel worked with a number of musical arrangers on this album.
Miami 25 - Past Present and Future 2002 Recording of the 25th anniversary concert including a number of prominent alumni.
Miami and Dedi 2003 Recording of the 26th anniversary concert featuring guest star Dedi.
Miami Revach 2005 Sold over 15,000 copies.
Miami Revach (DVD) 2006
Miami Moshiach 2007 Featuring 5 new songs and five concert recordings from Miami 29 by Ohad, Dovid Gabay and Michoel Schnitzler.
Around the Campfire 2007 MBC's first a cappella album. It features voices from several generations of the choir, being a project started in 2004.
Yavoh 2009
Ultimate Miami - The Ultimate Collection 2010 A collection of the English songs over the years.
The Miami Solo Album 2010 This album of non-Miami songs features Miami soloists Shaul Elson, Yair Kenig, David Herskowitz, and Binyamin Ravina Abramowitz.
Mi L'Hashem Eilai 2011 This album features one song from the new Miami Israel Choir directed by Miami Alumnus Menachem Klein.
When the Siyum Calls 2012 A double CD album and music video released in honor of the 12th Siyum HaShas which later took place at the MetLife Stadium on 1 August 2012.[16]
Miami in Concert 2013 Recorded performances from 2011–2013. Includes special bonus features including 'Miami at Pomegranate' and 'In the Beginning', showing how the Israeli choir began and were trained even long distance from the U.S.
Ut Ut 2015 Special track "Invei Hagefen" featured the Miami Alumni.
Miami B'Simcha Rabah (DVD) 2016 Contains footage of concerts from April 2013, 2015, 2016. (Most comes from the concert of 2015 just after MBC released the album Ut Ut.) The DVD also contains special features of the world tour in Antwerp, Paris, London, Mexico, and Israel.
Miami L'Olam Vo'ed ~ Forever! 2018 Contains 13 songs.

References
  1. "Boy Choir & Soloist Directory - Miami Boys Choir". 16 January 2008. Archived from the original on 21 November 2008. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  2. https://web.archive.org/web/20160307225031/https://www.koltorah.org/ravj/The%20Parameters%20of%20Kol%20Isha.htm
  3. Tzniut#cite note-jachter-27
  4. Miami Revach DVD. Chapter 1.
  5. Yaakov Shwekey Hebrew Bio Archived 4 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  6. "Ari Goldwag's Website - Biography". Archived from the original on 20 May 2009. Retrieved 3 January 2010.
  7. "BCSD - Nochum Stark". Retrieved 3 January 2010.
  8. Maruch Miller, Rochelle. "Music Man: Up Close and Personal with itzy Spinner" (PDF). JE Magazine. Retrieved 3 January 2010.
  9. "Interview with Rabbi Nachman Seltzer, Best Selling Author and Choir Director". 25 January 2016.
  10. "Chasidi News - Jewish Music". Archived from the original on 21 August 2009. Retrieved 3 January 2010.
  11. "AKA Pella".
  12. "Mordechai Shapiro to Perform at NCSY Gala". NCSY. 31 October 2017. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  13. Avaraham Solomon's Bio
  14. "Jewish Music Report - Avraham Solomon". Retrieved 4 January 2011.
  15. Mostly Music Store Listing of MBC albums
  16. "New York – Miami Boys Choir Music Video Highlights Siyum Hashas". Vos Iz Neias?. 15 June 2012. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
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