Hark the herald angels sing...

Carol singers set the mood for Christmas as they move from home to home singing of joy and Yuletide cheer

December 19, 2018 04:33 pm | Updated 04:33 pm IST

It is Sunday afternoon in Visakhapatnam and the sea is being noisy. The wind is adding to the din with its howling. But all that fades away as soon as one steps into the YMCA complex where a choir practises for the festivities at the Paul Music School.

Christmas is nigh. One can tell by the decorated trees and splashes of red and green that pop up at unexpected corners of the city. Strains of music escape the churches and carol singers move around filling the air with Christmas cheer. They have practised hard, memorising the lyrics, perfecting their pitches and singing their hearts out.

Weaving symphonies

On the second floor of the YMCA complex, over 30 singers surround Issac Paul Raj, founder of Paul Music School. Most hold sheets of papers in their hands and others have mobiles. Together, they weave symphonies. Sixty-five-year-old Mohan Varghese has been singing in a choir for 50 years now. “ I have sung in big choirs and under master conductors, and one thing I can tell you with conviction is that it is never about the instruments or the place of performance. It is the people who form the essence of a choir, not the venue or the instruments played,” he says firmly.

“Every song sings of the birth of Jesus. You sing what you believe, and that reaffirms your faith. When several voices blend together as a group, and we strike the right note, it is an unexplainable joy,” he says and adds, “Singing in a choir makes you realise that you are a small part of a bigger whole and yet, your contribution matters.”

It is not Christmas if it is not for choir singing, says Wilfred Raj, a 55-year-old member of Union Chapel. A part of the choir group since his childhood Wilfred feels that the choir practice binds people together. “At the Union Chapel we begin our choir practice at least two months in advance. Ninety percent of the singers in our choir are young people and it is so pleasing to see them carry forward these songs and symphonies,” he says. For him the additional activities like decorating the church before Christmas bring great joy.

Valarie Stuart along with 50 other members of Anglo-Indian Association goes around the city two evenings in a row singing carols and go around the houses till mid-night.

“There are around 100 Anglo-Indian families residing in the city. We hire a bus and visit as many homes as we can to sing and wish them for Christmas. The singers are accompanied by guitarists and a Santa. Families expect us and welcome us into their decorated homes with delicious snacks, ,” she says. The group also has a tradition of meeting the commissioner and the joint commissioner every year when they sing carols for them and greet them. While carol singing sets the mood for the festival, the Christmas Dance is the other most-awaited event of the year, says Valarie. The dance, which is hosted at the Railway Institute is a big annual affair for Anglo-Indian families across the city.

“The dance usually begins at 8 pm and goes on till 4 in the morning. Most of the people who live abroad come home during this time and its a joyous event where families and friends catch up,” she says.

“The carol groups made rounds around the city households at least a month before Christmas, setting up the mood, gearing up people for the festivities. The youngsters still go around but it is just from a week or 10 days,” rues Sharon Champavati, a member of GT choir group. “As a child, I spent hours in the kitchen with my mother baking cakes and making cookies, but now we just order it from outside. The ordered cake might taste better but it lacks that emotion,” she says regretfully.

For Paul choir singing is all about spreading joy and love. He has been teaching choir groups in the city for the past 20 years.“ Most of the people in my group are from different faiths. They want to be a part of the festivities. It has nothing to do with religion. It is all about singing together and having a good time which adds to the festive joy,” he says. Paul combines the traditional with the contemporary to make songs more appealing to the younger generation.

“The choir has singers who are children as well as adults, so I choose songs that can be enjoyed by all age groups.” The choir recently performed an hour-long show at the YMCA complex on December 19.

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