Join in the chorus
Lusty singing
Christmas is here and choral music is in the air. Along with the churches and independent choir groups, the college choirs in the City too are bracing up for the season and have been practising long and hard to render some of the most popular Christmas carols.
Metrolife hand-picked a few college choirs in the City to get an insight into what they’ve planned for Christmas in their respective
colleges.
Christmas musicals and plays that depict the birth of Christ are an integral part of Christmas celebrations in most colleges across the City. A crib and the Christmas tree is decked up in the first week of December which stays on till the new year.
The Christ University Choir will host its annual Christmas Music Festival ‘Magnificat: A Song of Hope’ on December 3 and 4 at the university auditorium.
In its sixth year, ‘Magnificat 2011’ will feature a blend of classical and contemporary Christmas pieces and strains whipped up and ready to be served to people of all age groups.
It will include performances by well-known choirs and music groups including ‘The Korean Community Choir’; ‘Zim Choir’ — a group from Zimbabwe; ‘The Bangalore Conservatory Concert Choir’ to name a few.
Sherin Jacob, who conducts the 195-strong choir says, “This is a non-competitive stage. We sing for the spirit of the season. It’s the only time of the year when all the choir groups from across the City come together and perform on one stage.”
Up next, with its elaborate celebrations, will be the Mount Carmel College that does everything in style and Christmas is no exception. The Christian Students Association organises a week-long celebrations with a fest called ‘Staross’ where there are several competitions like carol-singing, skits etc.
The college also has a Christmas tree decorating competition.
The main Christmas celebration this year will take place on December 15. “The beauty of this day is that every year, we invite guests from either an orphanage or home for the aged, or maybe the physically challenged.
Not only are they made part of the Christmas programme, but are invited to have a meal on campus too,” explains Deirdre Fernandes-Dominic, of the department of French and a choir conductor.
The choir will be rendering three carols including a medley of 'Ding Dong Merrily on High' and 'He is Born the Divine Christ Child'.
In addition to these two traditional carols, the choir will also sing two contemporary carols, ‘A King is Born’ and ‘A Perfect Christmas Night’.
Touted as one of the biggest Christmas festivals among the colleges in the City is ‘Humanitas 2011’ that will be held on December 18 at 5 pm at Mount Carmel College Auditorium.
The college choir of St Joseph’s College of Arts and Science is organising this in association with Mount Carmel College. The festival is an effort to raise funds for the less fortunate during Christmas and also raise money for earthquake victims of Sikkim.
The Kristu Jayanti College choir call themselves ‘Lamour’. This year the choir will render a medley of western and eastern traditional Christmas carols.
The day-long Christmas celebrations will be held on December 22. “There’s also a week-long game called ‘Secret Santa’ among the students and faculty. They exchange gifts and messages and the Secret Santa is not revealed until the last day,” explains Mathew, a faculty of Kristu Jayanti.
