The practice session of children participating in ‘Resonance 2017’ was in full swing recently. As they were gearing up to put in their best in the upcoming concert, the hall echoed with their synchronised voices.
The team of 50 children from the Bangalore Children’s Chorus, led by Maya Mascarenhas, has been rehearsing for the past three months. With cultural integration and exchange between artistes from different countries being the main objective, these youngsters are all set to put their best foot forward as they sing along with musicians from London, Ireland and Kenya. Popular songs and soulful tunes are what the team is looking forward to rendering on the day.
It was a delight to watch these kids sway and move in rhythm with the songs they were singing. An unmatched enthusiasm and eagerness to learn kept them going even after countless tiring practice sessions.
Malia Saldana, who is seven years old, will be seen performing a solo on the day of the concert. She is excited to be able to perform on a large platform like Toccata and says her parents are eagerly waiting to see her show. “These practice sessions are helping me a lot. I have learnt a few songs and I am able to rehearse and know the correct tunes without any interruptions. I will be performing ‘Jesus loves me’ solo and I am not nervous to perform it in front of so many people,” says Malia.
Among these 50 participants, there are also a few elders who are as excited as the kids to perform in the concert. Most of them are expecting a fun-filled evening and looking forward to making new friends. “These practice sessions are great fun. All of us love singing dearly and that is the reason we have made ourselves a part of it. I have been singing in choirs since childhood and it is such a proud moment for me to perform with my younger daughter on the same stage. It will be an entirely new experience to sing with a different choir and blending with the other choir, thus, sounding the same,” says Ella Nobbay, a member of the choir.
Veena has been singing since she was three years old and with a passion so strong for music, she says, these practice sessions have given her many more experiences and lessons. “I love singing and the songs selected are amazing, which has made the practice sessions more engaging. In fact, it is great to be around people from different age groups with a similar passion, all under one roof. Each one of them has something different to offer,” she says.
As the event is nearing, the sessions have become more intense. The group is all geared up and they have been practising almost everyday since the last one week, leaving no room for mistakes. Maya Mascarenhas, the woman who has stood strong through these sessions, giving it all that she has from the past few months, says, “Toccata Musical Productions is a great platform and an experience for young minds.
My main motive behind forming this choir was to give them an opportunity to sing outside their school concerts. It is a talented bunch and this is what the public needs to hear in different forums. An international platform like this will eventually give them a lot more confidence.”
She points out that the songs they are singing are usually done by adults but they have been able to pick them up quite easily. This being her third visit to the city, Nicki Hickey, a keyboardist from London, says it is wonderful to be back. She feels that the kind of energy that the children’s choir has is exhilarating. “This choir is amazing and the kids are doing a brilliant job,” says Nicki.
Landing in the city after a long and tiring journey has not stopped Paul Westhead from attending the practice session. “This group is great. Especially the song ‘He is Alive’ is quite powerful and after the other groups join them, it’s going to sound twice as good as it does now. It is a different atmosphere here; everybody is so chilled out and happy. I know it is going to be great.”
Before coming for the session, he tried a few local dishes and says he absolutely loved them. “I went to a restaurant and tried some ‘chapatis’ with potato gravy. It was so lovely. It is my type of food, so delicious,” he says.
The team of 50 children from the Bangalore Children’s Chorus, led by Maya Mascarenhas, has been rehearsing for the past three months. With cultural integration and exchange between artistes from different countries being the main objective, these youngsters are all set to put their best foot forward as they sing along with musicians from London, Ireland and Kenya. Popular songs and soulful tunes are what the team is looking forward to rendering on the day.
It was a delight to watch these kids sway and move in rhythm with the songs they were singing. An unmatched enthusiasm and eagerness to learn kept them going even after countless tiring practice sessions.
Malia Saldana, who is seven years old, will be seen performing a solo on the day of the concert. She is excited to be able to perform on a large platform like Toccata and says her parents are eagerly waiting to see her show. “These practice sessions are helping me a lot. I have learnt a few songs and I am able to rehearse and know the correct tunes without any interruptions. I will be performing ‘Jesus loves me’ solo and I am not nervous to perform it in front of so many people,” says Malia.
Among these 50 participants, there are also a few elders who are as excited as the kids to perform in the concert. Most of them are expecting a fun-filled evening and looking forward to making new friends. “These practice sessions are great fun. All of us love singing dearly and that is the reason we have made ourselves a part of it. I have been singing in choirs since childhood and it is such a proud moment for me to perform with my younger daughter on the same stage. It will be an entirely new experience to sing with a different choir and blending with the other choir, thus, sounding the same,” says Ella Nobbay, a member of the choir.
Veena has been singing since she was three years old and with a passion so strong for music, she says, these practice sessions have given her many more experiences and lessons. “I love singing and the songs selected are amazing, which has made the practice sessions more engaging. In fact, it is great to be around people from different age groups with a similar passion, all under one roof. Each one of them has something different to offer,” she says.
As the event is nearing, the sessions have become more intense. The group is all geared up and they have been practising almost everyday since the last one week, leaving no room for mistakes. Maya Mascarenhas, the woman who has stood strong through these sessions, giving it all that she has from the past few months, says, “Toccata Musical Productions is a great platform and an experience for young minds.
My main motive behind forming this choir was to give them an opportunity to sing outside their school concerts. It is a talented bunch and this is what the public needs to hear in different forums. An international platform like this will eventually give them a lot more confidence.”
She points out that the songs they are singing are usually done by adults but they have been able to pick them up quite easily. This being her third visit to the city, Nicki Hickey, a keyboardist from London, says it is wonderful to be back. She feels that the kind of energy that the children’s choir has is exhilarating. “This choir is amazing and the kids are doing a brilliant job,” says Nicki.
Landing in the city after a long and tiring journey has not stopped Paul Westhead from attending the practice session. “This group is great. Especially the song ‘He is Alive’ is quite powerful and after the other groups join them, it’s going to sound twice as good as it does now. It is a different atmosphere here; everybody is so chilled out and happy. I know it is going to be great.”
Before coming for the session, he tried a few local dishes and says he absolutely loved them. “I went to a restaurant and tried some ‘chapatis’ with potato gravy. It was so lovely. It is my type of food, so delicious,” he says.
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