The month of December is a special time to be in Delhi. From gleaming lights to beautiful musical concerts, the capital is buzzing at this time of the year when festivities are around the corner. It is indeed the happiest time for music lovers in the city, who wait to attend the blissful musical choirs that ring in the revelry. As Christmas is approaching there are various choir sessions that are being organised on popular demand by the expatriate and Christian community.
It is a busy time for the capital’s most popular choir group, the Capital City Minstrels Choir, who’ve done five concerts so far in this season. Usha Srivastava, the president of CCM choir informs, “Our group was founded in 1994 by a lady called Zohra Shaw with a group of eight singers. We all had a passion for singing, so we decided to start a choir group. It was open for all and eventually the number of singers increased every year. As our popularity increased we got invitations to perform at churches, embassies and international events. We have two sets of concerts every year — the spring and winter concert.”
She adds, “The CCM is a secular choir group where people from all age groups, caste and nationalities gather to share their love for music. We usually sing Western classical compositions, gospels and carols. Lately, we have also included vernacular holy songs like bhajans in Hindi, Marathi and other language hymns. Every time we perform in the capital, the response has been fabulous.”
Delhiites who love to attend and participate in the choir sessions feel that these concerts are a great way to connect and bond with like-minded people, who enjoy Western classical music. Rachna Kohli Sandhu of the Woman’s Quotient Club feels that the choir sessions in Delhi are very limited in number and need more visibility.
She adds, “I am a soprano singer and I really enjoy singing in the choir. Music connects everyone and the songs and acoustic at the choir are so soulful that it sounds angelic to everyone. We have a mix of gospel songs, carols and popular compositions that instantly strike a chord with the audience.”
Gita Bhatia, a regular at choir sessions as singer as well as an ardent listener likes to spread cheer through music. She says, “I have been singing with choir groups for more than 20 years. I have been a part of the Delhi Chamber Choir, Capital City Minstrels and Neemrana Music Foundation Choir. I enjoy music and I think the choir is a fabulous way to spend evenings. Here people from all religions, age groups and beliefs gather to spread the joy through the gospel, jazz and hymns.”