I t’s the season when voices unite to render some of the best melodic songs. Over the years, there has been a spurt in the number of groups that have joined the league. Madras Christian College Choir, Octet Cantabile, Voyz Male, The Celestial Voices, Docs of the Ages, The Minstrels, Canticles, Grace Lodge Orchestra, Cross and Crown...
Today, most of them are also striving hard to reinvent themselves, jazz up traditional tunes with a contemporary twist, or add theatrical elements. For example, the Jerusalem Mar Thoma Syrian Church’s Youth Choir recently came up with a musical from the movie Sister Act; and Crochets ’n’ Quavers, a kids’ choir group, decided to use dandiya sticks while performing the hugely famous ‘The Little Drummer Boy’.
Here is a list of choir groups — old and new — that have shaped the music scene in Chennai, and continue to do so.
The Madras Musical Association
Founded in: 1893
Number of members:80
Popular carol songs: ‘
Started by the British in 1893, the choir predominantly consisted of Britishers till it was passed on to an Indian conductor in 1945. Augustine Paul, the eighth Indian conductor in the choir, says they have always emphasised on Western classical numbers. “Our vision is to encourage Western Classical music. We have not added rock or Indian classical music to our repertoire.”
This year, it held the Carols by Candlelight session at St. Christopher’s Teachers Training College, Vepery. The group has been conducting this segment for the last 57 years, and it is usually scheduled in the last 20 minutes of the concert. All lights are switched off and the group sings popular carols in candlelight. The audience is given sheets of carol lyrics so people can join in as well. The adult choir team consists of both full-time singers and other professionals. Currently, it has around 30-member orchestra team, comprising school students and amateur artistes. “Many of them are schooled individually. But, playing with an orchestra is a different ball game. There are some rules members should follow. We train them for that,” says Augustine. The group is also trying to build its own orchestra and increase the number of members gradually, he adds.
“More youngsters are now drawn to choir music, that too Western Classical numbers. When more youngsters perform, more of them come to listen too. Four decades ago, this was not the story. Now, the average age of members in the choir team has come down to 30. And, that is a good sign.”
Br oadway Cathedral Choir
Founded in: 1969
Number of members: Around 30
Hit songs: ‘Yesu Maharajane Ezhunnalli’ (popular in the 70s), ‘Bethlehem Puri Veedhiyil’ and ‘Jyothisha’ (popular in the 90s)
When A.R. Rahman was still Dileep Kumar, he used to go for piano lessons to a certain master called Jacob John. Popularly known as Jim, he was the first conductor of the Broadway Church Choir (or St. Thomas Orthodox Cathedral Choir, Broadway), which was established in 1969 at the British-built church that became the core of the first congregation of the Orthodox Syrian Community outside of Kerala in 1916. “He was a great composer and specialised in traditional Malayalam chanting,” recalls Jaya Mathew, 72, one of the earliest members of the group that started off with around 25 members. She joined in 1970 as a young bride, and has been with the choir ever since — as it saw conductors, members and songs come and go. “We used to go to HMV studio in the 70s, and create LP records of songs sung along with musicians such as K.J. Yesudas and P. Susheela. I have converted many of these into cassettes and preserved them,” she says. A few years ago, the choir was featured in Ningalkkum Akam Kodeeswaran (hosted by Malayalam actor Suresh Gopi) during the holy week, extending from Palm Sunday to Resurrection Day. After Jim shifted to the U.K. in 2004, renowned music composer Jerry Amaldev supported the group with compositions. The group performs at church services and weddings. among other functions. It has brought out half-a-dozen CDs of devotional songs.
CSI Redeemer Church Choir
Founded: 1995
No of members: 45
Hit songs: ‘Love Came Down’, ‘The First Noel’ and ‘Go Tell It on the Mountain’
The oldest member in this church choir is an 82-year-old and the youngest a 15-year-old. This year, it presented ‘Love-love came down’, a two-hour concert with a strings orchestra by Jerry Fernandes. Emmanuel Ponraj conducted the music that ranged from popular carols to classical numbers by Bach, Mozart and Handel. “Many wait for our programme during Christmas time. Even the city’s top-notch musicians attend our concerts,” says Emmanuel. The performance was a huge success this year, he adds.
“The audience enjoyed it; the hall was packed. We have been practising since September for this concert. We rehearse on Sundays, and closer to the programme, we practise extra hours.”
The choir group also consists of children and a junior group. “Singing in a choir takes a lot of patience. You need to be punctual and regular. We train children through the year; there are no short cuts.”
The choir comes with a full-fledged orchestra team with piano, trumpet, flute, violin, cello and a recorder.
The music is open to all, and the orchestra consists of non-Christians as well. You do not have to be classically trained to be a part of the choir group, says Emmanuel. “Bankers, businesspeople and retired officers make up the band. But college students make up 60 per cent of our members. For them, this is a break from their regular schedule. They find joy in singing.”
Chennai Children’s Choir
Founded in: 2015
Number of members: 40
Hit songs: ‘Manithaneyam’ and a medley of songs by A.R. Rahman and Michael Jackson (garnered over 70,000 views on YouTube)
S oon after the floods last year, the choir, comprising kids from Corporation and Government Aided schools, gave its debut performance at the Tattvaloka Hall.
The group followed it up with a show at Urur Olcott Kuppam Vizha in February this year. The choir, around 12 performances old, is the brainchild of Nalandaway, which floated the idea to musicians Vedanth Bharadwaj and Manjula Ponnapalli and brought them on board.
“Most of the students do not have any musical training; this is an entirely new experience for them. Initially, they were a little conscious about participating, and singing along with a group. But a few classes later, everybody was at ease,” says Manjula.
“Over the months, we saw that the children developed the courage to express what they felt. That apart, the sessions brought in a spirit of oneness. We have five visually-challenged children in the group; and we observe that as soon as they enter the class, the rest of them volunteers to help them find their seats,” adds Vedanth.
Music-wise, the group has soaked in the concept of rhythm like a dry sponge. “It’s a challenge for us to keep innovating, and teach them something new in every class. They grasp everything so quickly,” says Manjula.
The choir performs songs in Telugu, Punjabi, Urdu, Bhojpuri, Bengali, Rajasthani, Hindi, English and Tamil. Its next show is at The Hindu Lit for Life in January 2017.
Madras Youth Choir
Founded in: 1970
Number of members: 45
Hit songs: Bharathidasan’s ‘Mazhai’ and ‘Amma’
Bharathi Ilaignar Isai Group, as it was called at the time of its inception, had 25 members — 14 girls and 11 boys from schools and colleges — when it started as a forum to perform patriotic songs.
Started by the late M.B. Srinivasan, a pioneer in Indian choral music with over 200 compositions to his credit, the choir expanded its focus from national integration songs to include those on environment, human values, rhymes for children, and more.
D. Ramachandran, now the vice-president of Madras Youth Choir, was one among the 25. “Eight of us from the original group are still with the choir. We continue to practise every Sunday at Children’s Garden School, Mylapore, between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.,” he says. Many are retired, have shifted to other cities and countries, and a few are no more. But those who have stuck around have made it a point to attend the practice sessions and stay updated with the new compositions, “come rain or shine, irrespective of whether there is a show or not”.
Now, to pass on the repertoire of songs to the next generation, the choir has started classes for youngsters — junior and sub-junior groups — on weekends. “Our genre of music includes Carnatic and Hindustani music, performed using Western music techniques,” he explains. The group, which has been recognised by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, also has a sister organisation called MBS Youth Choir in Thiruvananthapuram, which works with people in rural and tribal areas. Soon, it might perform at Washington DC, if it manages to raise enough funds, says Ramachandran.
