An unforgettable journey

He has grown up with musical notes around him and he conducts his choirs just like how he conducts himself — with equal amount of poise and grace. Musician and choir conductor, Colin Scott’s brief nod with Bengaluru was an enjoyable and intimate one, as he easily fit into the City, with his jolly presence, friendly nature and kind smile.

He was recently here to conduct a few back-to-back shows with the Toccata Musical Productions, UK and the Kenyan Boys Choir, and he described this experience as a classic and charming one. He conducted an enormous and spirited Western choir which sang a few fusion and Western harmonies. Colin finds fusion to be a genre of great interest across the globe and when it comes to Indian music, he loves the Kishore Kumar classic, ‘Dilbar mere’. “We love singing this song at all our shows. The audience in India also loves this song whenever we perform. They groove with us every time we sing it, which is very encouraging.”

Colin loved that India was exactly how he had imagined it to be. “The chaos and the noise and the traffic,” he rattled off. The energetic and cosmopolitan vibe in the City got him excited and he felt that he belonged here instantly. “The City is classic and vibrant. It was also a beautiful experience working with so many people here to put together a show,” he said. He recalled that preparing for his performances here was a smooth ride since the Bengalureans he was working with were extremely supportive and kind. “It made our job a lot easier and that is one reason why we want to come back. Also for the ‘chicken kormas’ and bread and onion ‘bajji’.” Colin also enjoyed the interactions with school children here and was excited to see a robust, adult Bengaluru audience.

His affection for music knows no bounds and he said that he was “blessed” to be born and brought up in a musically inclined family in Belfast. “I was always involved with music throughout my childhood. I was very active in singing at our local church at various activities, for different choirs and acappella groups. My mother is also a singer who encouraged me to take up music. I soon realised that this music is what I wanted to do professionally and worked very hard at it.” And after this stint in Bengaluru, Colin is ready to go back to Belfast and work towards creating a lot more music.