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Ding dong merrily on high

Christmas carols
Last Updated 09 December 2016, 18:49 IST

Christmas fervour has gripped the city and festivities have started in full swing. Carol singing and Christmas concerts are an integral part of this season and independent and church choirs in the city have been practising long and hard to put up an impressive show during Christmas. These concerts usually begin in the second week of December and sometimes continue till Christmas.

Most choirs string together traditional carols with a few contemporary and modern musical arrangements. The ‘Harmony Children’s Chorus’, led by Sandra Oberoi, is known for its versatility. This year the choir will be performing some Western classical pieces written by popular composers. “We’re doing some Southern gospel, country, jazz and acapella favourites as well. There’s something for everyone. As the director, I encourage versatility. Trying out a different repertoire gives me a chance to work on different singing techniques and styles. This helps me build the group,” says Sandra.

Other chorale groups such as ‘The Bangalore Men’ and the ‘Glorious Choir’ always weave a story into their performances. Their concerts are knit around a particular theme and effort is made to match the props with their musical renditions. ‘The Bangalore Men’ will  be performing in several parts of the city, starting December 10 till 22. Jonas Olsson, the conductor of the group, says “We will be presenting a mix of some of the most loved Christmas carols like ‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing’, ‘Jingle Bells’, ‘Away in a Manger’ and ‘What Child is This’.  We hope to take people on a tour of classical Christmas music and we will be singing in English, German, Swedish and Latin,” explains Jonas. The ‘Glorious Choir’, led by Reji Chandy, literally kickstarts the season of Christmas concerts in the city.
The choir has chosen to present a theme of ‘Unto Us’. The musicians at the Bangalore School of Music (BSM), one of the oldest music schools in the city, have been nurtured on the belief that music is one among the most powerful tools to convey emotions and has great healing powers. The BSM hosts ‘Rhapsody’, the annual Christmas celebration, which is a carnival of sorts with music and a host of other fun-filled events.

“The proceeds of ‘Rhapsody’ are used to educate talented youngsters who would otherwise not be able to access a formal music training,” says M R Jagadeesh, Director-Operations, BSM. Among the church choirs, ‘East Parade Church Choir’ and ‘St Mark’s Cathedral Choir’ are not only popular for rendering traditional carols but are also among the few church choirs that render Western classical compositions to perfection. Anjana Rebecca, a member of ‘St Mark’s Cathedral Choir’, informs that the theme this year will be ‘God’s Revolution of Love’.

The ‘East Parade Church Choir’ has chosen ‘Bethlehem’s Treasure’ as its theme. The choir conductor Nevin Thomas says “This year’s repertoire will consist of 15 songs across several genres such as Western classical, contemporary and traditional hymns. A few pieces such as ‘Alpha and Omega’ arranged by Camp Kirkland and ‘O Holy Night’ and a female quartet will be the major highlights of the evening.”

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(Published 09 December 2016, 16:46 IST)

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