<p>No Christmas is complete without carol singing. Armed with guitars and drums, carol singers walk into people’s homes and render popular carols, bringing <br />messages of hope, laughter and joy. <br /><br />There are several active carol groups in the City that have been going on door-to-door carolling, keeping the traditional spirit of carol singing alive. <br /><br />Door-to-door carol singing begins in the second week of Christmas and lasts until Christmas eve. <br /><br />However, a few old Bangaloreans confess that the number of groups have considerably reduced. <br /><br />They blame this reduction of groups to busy work schedules and lack of time. <br />Metrolife caught up with a few active groups and asked them how they enjoy this good old tradition of carol singing. <br /><br />Be it Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, North East, Anglo-Indian groups – there are people who form carol groups, practice long and hard to render some popular pieces during this season. There’s a sizeable number of people from the North East living in the City. <br /><br />Come Christmas time and the community comes together from all corners of the City to celebrate the spirit of the season. <br /><br />Rocky Kipgen, who belongs to Kuki carol group, that covers almost 200 odd houses of people from the North-East in the City. <br /><br />Rocky says, “There are a host of carol groups who move around from the first week of December, playing and performing popular Christmas carols. People belonging to the Kuki tribe from Manipur, living here celebrate Christmas continuously for three days. This group goes from house to house until Christmas. It’s more of an excuse to get together and celebrate the feeling of oneness.” <br /><br />The 450-member group of carol singers of the St Thomas Orthodox Church has already visited 300 houses in the City.<br /><br /> The group comprises students, professionals and housewives who have been dedicating three hours for the last one week to go carol singing. <br /><br />“We start everyday at 7 pm and conclude by 11 pm. Some of the popular songs we sing are Daivathin Puthranam, Janichello, ‘Mary’s boy’ and always conclude with ‘Silent Night’. The group also has young children who enthusiastically sing along. They have been brought up on this tradition of carol singing,” explains Sathyan, a member of the group.<br /> <br />It’s not just carol groups from churches but there was a time, when even neighbourhood carol groups, were active but now that seems to have disappeared, observes Priya Mohanraj, a life coach and a counsellor, who lives in Richard Town. <br /><br />She recollects that as a child she used to accompany her parents on carol rounds in the neighbourhood.<br /><br /> “There was a big group of us who used to brave the December cold and go house to house singing. Time set apart for practice sessions and all those home-made goodies, we used to feast on, in every house that we went, remain as memories. It’s sad that the kids today really don’t find the time to relate to the joys we experienced carol singing during yester years,” she rues. </p>.<p><br />Kevin Rodger, an Anglo-Indian, feels that people have become too busy to spare some time for their loved ones. <br /><br />“I used to go carol singing but it requires a lot of dedication and commitment to practice but now after I started working, it is difficult to take time off work but I certainly miss the good old days,” Kevin wraps up. </p>
<p>No Christmas is complete without carol singing. Armed with guitars and drums, carol singers walk into people’s homes and render popular carols, bringing <br />messages of hope, laughter and joy. <br /><br />There are several active carol groups in the City that have been going on door-to-door carolling, keeping the traditional spirit of carol singing alive. <br /><br />Door-to-door carol singing begins in the second week of Christmas and lasts until Christmas eve. <br /><br />However, a few old Bangaloreans confess that the number of groups have considerably reduced. <br /><br />They blame this reduction of groups to busy work schedules and lack of time. <br />Metrolife caught up with a few active groups and asked them how they enjoy this good old tradition of carol singing. <br /><br />Be it Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, North East, Anglo-Indian groups – there are people who form carol groups, practice long and hard to render some popular pieces during this season. There’s a sizeable number of people from the North East living in the City. <br /><br />Come Christmas time and the community comes together from all corners of the City to celebrate the spirit of the season. <br /><br />Rocky Kipgen, who belongs to Kuki carol group, that covers almost 200 odd houses of people from the North-East in the City. <br /><br />Rocky says, “There are a host of carol groups who move around from the first week of December, playing and performing popular Christmas carols. People belonging to the Kuki tribe from Manipur, living here celebrate Christmas continuously for three days. This group goes from house to house until Christmas. It’s more of an excuse to get together and celebrate the feeling of oneness.” <br /><br />The 450-member group of carol singers of the St Thomas Orthodox Church has already visited 300 houses in the City.<br /><br /> The group comprises students, professionals and housewives who have been dedicating three hours for the last one week to go carol singing. <br /><br />“We start everyday at 7 pm and conclude by 11 pm. Some of the popular songs we sing are Daivathin Puthranam, Janichello, ‘Mary’s boy’ and always conclude with ‘Silent Night’. The group also has young children who enthusiastically sing along. They have been brought up on this tradition of carol singing,” explains Sathyan, a member of the group.<br /> <br />It’s not just carol groups from churches but there was a time, when even neighbourhood carol groups, were active but now that seems to have disappeared, observes Priya Mohanraj, a life coach and a counsellor, who lives in Richard Town. <br /><br />She recollects that as a child she used to accompany her parents on carol rounds in the neighbourhood.<br /><br /> “There was a big group of us who used to brave the December cold and go house to house singing. Time set apart for practice sessions and all those home-made goodies, we used to feast on, in every house that we went, remain as memories. It’s sad that the kids today really don’t find the time to relate to the joys we experienced carol singing during yester years,” she rues. </p>.<p><br />Kevin Rodger, an Anglo-Indian, feels that people have become too busy to spare some time for their loved ones. <br /><br />“I used to go carol singing but it requires a lot of dedication and commitment to practice but now after I started working, it is difficult to take time off work but I certainly miss the good old days,” Kevin wraps up. </p>