Bagley, David

BAGLEY, DAVID (1932– ), ḥazzan. Bagley was born in Vilna where his musical talents were revealed at an early age. He spent the war years in Japan and China and studied in Mir Yeshiva in Shanghai. In 1947 he went to America, where he continued his religious studies and also furthered his cantorial learning. One of his outstanding teachers was Cantor Joshua Lind. His first post in the United States was in Atereth Zion Synagogue in Brooklyn, after which he went on to many important positions in the United States. He was chief cantor of the Nidḥe Israel congregation in Mexico City, and from 1967 to 1969 he was chief cantor in Ramat Gan, Israel. He has held posts in Johannesburg and Cape Town and has been chief cantor of Beth Shalom Synagogue in Toronto. He has produced many records of cantorial music (many under his own Shirei David label) and has composed several prayers, besides appearing in concerts throughout the world. Chanan Winternitz, a well-known Israeli liturgical arranger/accompanist, was for many years responsible for his concert repertoire. Besides two compilations of Recitatives and Melodies (Ne'ilah and Hallel), the Toronto Council of ḥazzanim together with the Council of Ḥazzanim of Greater Montreal has issued a volume of David Bagley's compositions entitled: 'Al Yedei David (2000).