Lachan

The Toronto JewishChamber Choir

In 1993, Cantor Benjamin Z. Maissner founded Lachan (meaning melody in Hebrew) with a group of enthusiastic Toronto-based musicians who shared a love of music. The choir's primary purpose was to perform a sophisticated Judaic and Hebraic repertoire at the highest standard of excellence, while both educating and entertaining its audiences.  

Now in its 20^TH season, Lachan has blossomed into a well-respected, semi-professional ensemble.  The choir is known for its musical virtuosity and its comprehensive repertoire that spans thousands of years and a variety of styles. Lachan, which is dedicated to performing music that emerges from Jewish culture, has earned an impressive reputation. It is best known for its participation in the "Sounds of Healing Project", in Nuremberg, Germany, in 2000. Lachan represented Canada in this historic international choral gathering that featured Jewish choral ensembles from the United States and Israel. In 2002, Lachan was selected as a national semi-finalist in the CBC Choral Competition.

In December 2003, Lachan, in conjunction with the Dead Sea Scroll Exhibit, performed at the Canadian Museum of Civilization and joined with Ottawa's Musica Ebraica in a Hannukah concert at Agudath Israel Synagogue. In the same year, the choir released its first CD: "Lachan Live in Concert", which includes a wide range of Jewish choral music originating from classical, renaissance and modern times, and also pays tribute to great Jewish-Canadian composers including Ben Steinberg ,Srul Irving Glick, and Sid Rabinovitch.