Everyone has their favourite Chazan, the one with whom they would most like to spend (or have spent) Yom Kippur. For me this is Pierre Pinchik.

Born in Zhivitov, in Kiev in the Ukraine, as Pinchas Segal, he attended Yeshiva there, and then went on to the conservatory where he studied piano and voice. In his early days he was a folk singer and, sponsored by the anti-religious Soviet government, and adopting the name Pierre Pinchik, he travelled around the country giving concerts. From 1923 to 1926 he served as Chazan to the Leningrad Shul, but without fanfare.

In 1927 he went to America and, attracted by the freedom that was denied his fellow-countrymen under the Bolsheviks, he decided to remain there.

It was not long before he was celebrated as both a Chazan and an outstanding performer of folk-songs, many of which he recorded.

Pinchik was endowed with a very sweet and distinctive voice. It was not a 'great' voice in the traditional sense, but he had the unusual ability of singing everything with his heart. There is also an originality about his compositions that makes them immediately recognisable as his work.  Unusually, Pinchik accompanied himself on the organ on some of his early recordings.

Pinchik's most famous compositions are as fresh today as they were when he first introduced them to the public.

His Ribono Shel Olom for Sefiras ho'Omer (with its recurring theme of Dee, da-da-da,  Dee, da-da-da,  Dee, da-da-da, Daa)  and his Rozo D'Shabbos are perhaps, the most famous, and they are, without doubt, classic pieces. But there are others that are just as appealing. Areshes Sefoseinu, for Rosh Hashono and Hashem Hashem from Neiloh illustrate supremely well how he could interpolate the style of a folk-melody into Tefillah or, with the most uncomplicated Chazanut, rend your heart in two.

I've heard it said that he was a very temperamental performer, even on the Bimah, and would refuse to conduct a service if there was the slightest sound coming from the congregation. He would wait until there was total silence before starting and would stop immediately if there was an interruption. Perhaps today's Chazanim could take a lesson from him!

Although there are still fine Chazanim today, perhaps Pierre Pinchik represented the last of the Golden Age of Chazanim, the last true composer/performer who could pull in the crowds, whether to hear him lead a service or concertise.

We are fortunate that a number of his recordings were made at a time when the technical ability to reproduce the voice accurately had improved enormously. Thanks to this, countless generations will still be able to thrill to this unique talent.

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The late Cantor Pinchik whose original name was Pinchas Segal,was one of the few remaining masters of the "Golden age of Chazanut" and one of the Great Cantors of the twentieth century. From a young age as a Yeshiva student in Zhivitov, a town in the province of Kiev, he had an unusual talent. While still very young he made the great jump from the Yeshiva in his native town to the conservatoire in Kiev. After four years attending the Kiev conservatoire he became a competent pianist and a sweet singer. His tender lyric voice has enthralled all who heard him singing. In the beginning of his career he became a popular folk singer, acquired the name Pinchik and toured the country under the sponsorship of the Soviet Government.

It was almost unbelievable that a young man of his quality and talent blessed with a beautiful voice and equipped with a musical education, should turn to Chazanut in a time of the early days of the Russian revolution. This was a period which was hardly conducive to inspire a young man to dedicate his life to religious pursuits, in a time when the Bolsheviks revolutionairs were pursuing violently anti- religious policy.

In 1927 Pinchik came to the United States on a concert tour. Impressed by the freedom he felt there, he remained in America and since then he had been one of America's most popular Cantors. It was not accidental that Pinchik became famous very soon all over the world, for his musicality and his mellow sweet voice were instrumental in making him the most successful Chazan in his time. Pinchik was a superb artist in both Cantorial and Yiddish folk songs. His desire was to become a Chazan in the classic style of Sultzer, however coming from an environment of East European life, his Chazanut grew out of the Chassidic liturgical tradition and is a refinement of the fervour and mysticism of the Chassidic Baal Tefilah.

He created a Style of Chazanuth which was based upon the Nigun of the study of the "Cabala." His compositions: "Rozo D'shabos," and the "Ribono Shel Olam" from the Sefira are illustrations of that style. Many of his Composition are masterpieces of great art which were the sprouting of the Yeshiva environment.

There was a uniqueness in the appearance of Chazan Pinchik, who was a Cantor in this now disappearing tradition of Cantor - Composer. His songs communicate not only the traditional style of the Hebrew chant, but a mysticism that is distinctively his own. Pinchik was one of the very few who lived to see Chazanim all over the world sing his compositions. In his prime of life he became a musical descendant of Chazanim like Yeruchom Hakoton and Bezalal Oddeser as well as a spiritual grandchild of the famous Rabbi Levi Itschok of Bardichev.

He had tremendous success in concerts touring all over the world, his records are found in every home of Chazanuth lovers.

Pinchik's departure leaves a hollow which could not be replaced. He will be for us in our time what the great giants of the Golden age were for the Jews in their time, a beam of light that every chazan can look upon with admiration and reverence. His compositions will remain for ever among the treasures of Jewish liturgical inheritance.