CHOIR, CHAPTER & VERSE
It’s hard to channel the spirit of Christmas without the rich body of music that has been, for centuries, integral to this festive tradition. From popular carols to canonical melodies from the Western classical school, Delhi’s many church choirs have mast
Since Santa’s sleigh bells and their jingles are limited to fictional narratives and a few good stores, we’ve discovered the best sound for the season: the Christmas carol. Without any stating, Carols are universally accepted as part of the Christmas quiver along with baked goods, the red and green colors of wreathes and fairy lights, Santa hats and the celebrations of religious and pop kind. It’s a warm feeling to be present outside as the night grows cold with a few faces and instruments that bring to life the Christmas spirit.
In the national capital, the number of choirs perform- ing for the masses may be few but they are not limited to just choirs from churches. There has been a welcoming response from the population of the city which equally desires to evoke the essential feel of Christmas. Around the festive season people make it a point to put on their Sunday best and head collectively to their nearest venue hosting carol singing. The absorbing aspect is not simply the very act of carol singing but the inclusive nature of it all — people can sing along, clap to keep beats and even dance with someone who might just be present on the scene dressed as Santa.
Guardian 20 looked into the very soul of Delhi to find some of the choirs that have worked hard all year round just so that we can find the snuggling joy of Christmas right in the season. It is only fair to begin with the recognition of the fact that choirs are indispensible and that gratitude is not what they expect; all they rather want to do is spread the love.
The Capital City Minstrels, which was started by Zora Shaw with only a small group of twelve members in 1994, is today one of the most sought-after choirs when it comes to Christmas carols. The choir today has above 80 members who come from different walks of life, some from the corporate sphere while others from colleges or ranks of striving artists. Reem Khokar, one of the choir members, talked to us about the efforts that went on in the background to produce the final performances which took place from 13-17 December at various venues, including a performance for the President of India and his guests. She says, “The winter season is from August to December with concerts in December. Our rehearsal schedule is once a week — Wednesdays from 6.30 p.m. to 8.30 p.m., and a couple of weekend rehearsals (around two in a season) where we rehearse for about four to five hours on Saturday and Sunday.”
The choir is in its 23rd year and has members from different nationalities — some of them Indian, German, British and Hungarian — being trained by Sharmila Livingston, the conductor and trainer here for this season. Khokar remarks, “Each has brought their own style of conducting and music selection, which has made us an extremely diverse and eclectic group with a vast repertoire — classical, gospel, pop and rock and Indian music arranged for a choir are just some of the many genres of music we perform.” It’s when you look past the veil of performance that a fresh insight is gained about how choirs really operate. To start with, they consider themselves a “family”. And their training sessions to them are havens which offer respite from the daily grind. For performances, the Capital City Minstrels have travelled to many places, like Kashmir, Goa, Dehradun, Kasauli within India, and internationally, to Germany, Switzerland, Hungary and France. Perhaps all this travelling together has also got something to do with the bonding between the members.