‘Sounds of the Season’ unites Chennai in festive harmony

The soft glow of white lights, familiar carol hums, and the warmth of togetherness filled the air at the Government Museum Theatre. The classic melodies and folklore music resonated through the hall, spreading cheer and a festive spirit among the audience. Bringing the spirit of Christmas, the Madras Guild of Performing Arts’ newest ensemble staged their annual concert, Sounds of the Season on Wednesday.

Performing for the second time, the ensemble has two choirs – the adults and the children. The choir wants to celebrate the season and share the joy of music.

The organisers believe that the city’s fabric is changing as more people migrate here, making it a safer and more happening location. “Chennai has always been the centre of culture, music and dance.

So it’s important to keep these traditions alive because that’s the only way we have the opportunity to pass them on to future generations. More than anything else, the concert is also about sharing,” points out Amardeep Devadason, marketing and media coordinator of the group.

The warm and mellow piano tunes, perfect voices, and the harmonious notes of a Swahili-English song marked the beginning of the Christmas tradition at the concert. A total of 35-odd songs were sung by both the choirs – some solo, duet, the kids and adults separate and a few coming together for particular pieces.

A collective celebration

The troupe shared their love for music with the fellow followers, evidently, because for the first time, a sing-along music concert was performed. “We have not done a full sing-along before. So we thought, this time during the Christmas concert, we would curate an interactive concert while engaging the audience to sing along,” explains Indra Hande, the choir’s president.

The songs sung at the concert were chosen by Atul Jacob Isaac, the group’s music director and middle school carol conductor at the American International School, and some were suggested by the singers. Atul says, “It is about striking a balance with the true nature of why we celebrate Christmas, along with the festive pieces of music.

We have put it in such a way that we cover all the traditional carols, classics that people would enjoy and relate to, the advent of the promise of Christ being born through the shepherds, and the actual birth of Christ.” Some of the songs rendered for the first time by the ensemble were Coming of the Lord by a modern composer called Pepper Choplin, Happy Winter, Holly Jolly Holiday, and Somewhere in My Memory.

“The choir’s commitment is a huge bonus and their display of perseverance makes us stand apart from any other ensemble and explore more in this style of music,” shares Atul.

Catherine Debbie Joshua, a singer in the children’s choir, shares, “I practised every day before going to school, during my recess, after coming back from school, and before and after tuition classes. I love music and all the practice sessions helped me tune my skills.”

A commitment response

The children rehearsed beyond the three sessions they attended, while their mentors Nathania Sithara Samuel and Amita Lillian Daniel involved the kids in warm-up sessions. The mentors say, “We had fun with the musical notes while teaching them musical terms and theories. We made them play with emotions like singing happily or sadly, so they can apply that when they sing on stage.”

Leanna Thomas, another singer, says, “I was a bit nervous during the performance but then when the concert went through, I was pretty much excited. It was so much fun working with fellow kids and adults. The experience was overall fun.”

The kids wore white T-shirts that read ‘Songs you know and some you don’t’. Women were draped in black and golden polka dots saris and men in black suits and tuxes. All of them had a red poinsettia pinned on their outfits. Sharing warmth and connection, the voices of the choir and the 320 members in the audience, blended into a united celebration of happiness and peace.

Atul beautifully expresses, “If you are not aligned to any religion, you might not relate with the sacred part of the carols, but you will enjoy the carol. If you are one who likes music, you will enjoy the festive nature of the songs. The programme was curated in a way that there is something for everyone.” True to his words, Pooja Kadaboina, an editor, shares, “They were really good at bringing everybody into the cheer of the festive mood. I think we were moved to dance along with them, even in the little songs that you shouldn’t have sung along. I think it was hard to hold back.”