Joy returns to the world! Choirs set the right note for Christmas

The air is infused with festive cheer and jubilance as Christmas approaches. But making merry is incomplete without a musical treat! As choirs from across NCR return to perform carols after two years of Covid-19 restrictions, members are elated to be back in tune

Adjusting to the new normal

Think Christmas choir and one is bound to visualise a group of some 40 musicians. “But due to Covid-19, there was a limit on the number of audience members at gatherings. So, a 40-member choir for 50 listeners didn’t make sense,” shares Priya Wacziarg, managing trustee, The Neemrana Music Foundation, which is set to take the stage at Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, Saket, on December 11. While they couldn’t perform during the first year of the pandemic, the foundation reduced the size of their choir to perform last year. Wacziarg informs, “In this way, Covid-19 actually taught us a lesson. Now, we find this system more efficient since we are packed with events this time!”

Baby steps

When you hear the song O Great Mystery and Wonderful Sacrament, know that it’s Delhi Chamber Choir performing. Nadezda Balyan, conductor of the choir, shares how the group is resurrecting with full gusto to celebrate the spirit of Christmas this year. “We are slowly taking steps towards coming back. We still haven’t resumed our full rehearsal schedule, the way we used to do it in pre-Covid times. This time, we have a couple of private events lined up, so we are gradually returning to our old normal. But, it will take some time to sing the more complex songs that our choir is known for,” Balyan adds. ’Tis the season of hope

Reem Khokhar, a singer from the popular choir, Capital City Minstrels, shares how rehearsing after the pandemic feels different: “During Covid, there was a lot of uncertainty. We had members from different age groups, so we had to be extremely careful and wear double masks. Imagine wearing masks and singing... it was very difficult!” This year, instead of focusing on the spirit of celebration, the choir’s performance is named Inspired by Hope. Sharmila B Livingston, conductor of the choir, says, “The pandemic was a time when we weren’t able to sing at all. So, now that we reassemble, we didn’t want to come back for a concert, because that’s a celebration; it’s a different feeling from what we have experienced these past years due to the tragic deaths.”

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Of carols in condos

Music spreads joy, and what better use of it than treating NCR residents with surprise performances? This is exactly what Lorraine Music Academy, Gurugram, has planned for this year, especially for those staying in condominiums. “We plan to take our carol performances to the communities at various locations. It’s a sort of surprise for the community, as we are going to where the people are, with no auditoriums or formal venues,” shares Aubrey Aloysius from the academy, adding, “Christmas is a time of celebration and rejoicing, and that spirit will continue with this initiative.”

ILLUSTRATION: SHUTTERSTOCK Text: Mrinalini Kaushik