Choir, chapter & verse
The choir, as Reem Khokar brings to notice, is made of many elements, other than the voices. “We usually have a pianist for most of our performances and may add in a percussionist, a violin or cello, or a flute, clarinet depending on the arrangement,” Khokar says. “We do have an Executive Committee which works tirelessly behind the scenes. They are responsible for everything from managing the finances of the choir, marketing and publicity, music selection, to booking venues and event management.”
Another Delhi-based choir which has now been around for over a decade, the Mozart Choir of India, is composed of members coming from a far younger age group, that of eight to 14 years, who hail from various schools in Delhi. Georg Zehetner, Chargé ´d Affaires, Austrian Embassy, in a conversation with Guardian 20, says, “The Mozart Choir of India was initiated by the efforts of the sitar legend, the late Pundit Ravi Shankar.”
There are 32 choristers at the moment in this collective, and new ones are always welcome for auditions provided they are under the age of 14. The free- of- cost training here is conducted weekly, and each of these choristers is, Zehetner’s words, “already enormous according to their voice classification — be it a soprano, mezzo soprano, tenors, counter tenors, baritone and bass. Vocal training has resulted in some of the best results among these choristers”. With such specialised training being conducted under Maestro Martina Ketterl, who herself is a trained conductor from Germany and Maestro Gerald Wirth, Artistic Director and President of the World renowned Vienna Boys Choir, you’d expect the going here to be tough. Surprisingly, the training sessions are conducted in an environment which is enjoyable, which is proven by the fact that the children train even during their exam seasons at school.
“About 10 groups have already been trained here, out of which some have gone on to work in Bollywood, on Broadway and have even joined the reputed Vienna Boys Choir”, says Georg Zehetner. Besides, they have performed in Mumbai, Rajasthan and Neemrana and Delhi. Internationally, they have performed in Vienna, Salzburg, Krems and Burgenland in Austria. Most recently, the Mozart Choir of India spread their high spirited energy of Christmas at a performance in Delhi’s Select City Walk.
On this list must be mentioned another Delhi-based choir which completed 50 years of performing in 2015. The Delhi Christian Chorus is an initiative started “in 1965 as a group of enthusiastic singers, with members drawn from various leading churches of Delhi”, according to Royall S. McLaren, who is the conductor and the trainer of the choir and has been a part of it for the entire stretch of its 50 years. He further adds, “The membership of the group is totally voluntary and singers come from various backgrounds, irrespective of their faith, spiritual leanings and cultural backgrounds. In these fifty years some 1,000 voices have been part of this group, coming from all corners of our beautiful land, as well as those representing continents like Africa, Australia, Europe, North and South America and Asia.”
To add to all this variety is the range of musical influences surging through the performances. “We bring a repertoire of selections consisting of 1,500 different choral pieces, which include works of traditional, contemporary, modern, very modern, folk, spiritual and classical composers.” He also emphasized on the fact that the choir has never played a single song more than once, which means that the Delhi Christian Chorus has worked towards always keeping it fresh. They are also dedicated to the greater cause of charity as most of the money which is raised at the performance is used to give gifts to those in need — talk about being Santa.
Royall S. McLaren also shares his opinion on training the choir: “Since they are not professional musicians, it can be tough. It’s about achieving the perfect fourpart harmony for which each sound has to be paid attention to. They also do not know how to read sheet music, so I have to teach that as well. You have to start from scratch always. That’s how you make it work.” The choir starts training four months before the Christmas season and the training sessions are held on Mondays. The Delhi Christian Chorus works with one aim only, “In the present World of total turmoil, chaos and hatred the group is committed to spreading the Christian message of universal love, peace and brotherhood,” concludes McLaren.
The choir performed this year on 11 December at the Cathedral Church of Redemption in Delhi’s North Avenue. They do two Christmas carol performances every year.
For another pick, we found a new choir which came into being only last year due to a request which was made to the 32-year-old Dramatech Theatre Group by a five star hotel. The group already has a choir known as Tarannum, whose western wing, a sort of sub-group, which performs Christmas carols, was made last year. Ravi Raj Sagar, the organiser of the western wing of the Tarannum Choir says, “We pick about ten good western singers, all college students, for these performances. Several children also join in. Only a piano is used as main accompaniment. This year we have a beat boxer providing the percussion.” The choir consists of members who already possess years of train- ing in Western or Indian music and are already part of popular choirs or church choirs.
The outfit is trained by Usha Srivastava, who is a well- known pianist and voice coach in Delhi. “The choir mostly sings traditional Christmas carols but to this we also add something more upbeat and pop, songs like Jingle Bell Rock.” The choir is in its nascent stage and is already growing into a reserve of effort and energy with the focus that the Dramatech Group is putting on it. The plan so far seems to be a performance every year on Christmas Eve at Hotel Claridges in New Delhi.
The Christmas season isn’t simply brought in by the cold, at least not in Delhi where the temperature drop isn’t satisfactory for winter bloomers. It is brought in by these small actions where people participate. In the making of meals and sharing them, the decorating, the dancing, the praying and the singing of Christmas carols people are able to unite in warm embraces and learn what the festival means. This year in Delhi, choirs have yet again had a hand in bringing the spirit of love to the city folk who long for a break from hardships.
The Delhi Christian Chorus is an initiative started in 1965 by a group of enthusiastic singers, with members drawn from various leading churches of Delhi, according to Royall S. McLaren, who is the conductor and the trainer of the choir and has been a part of it for the entire stretch of its 50 years.