Merry Xmas: Concert at Ravindra Bharati revs up festive spirit in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: Christmas came early to Hyderabad this year. The cold weather and musical notes combined to bring a magical performance from the Festival Choristers on November 29 at Ravindra Bharati. The place was packed with not an empty seat. The bright red and green, and yellow and green saris of the choir singers reflected the same colours of the starry decorations on the stage. The males were dapper in dark suits, white shirts, and red ties. It was a well-attended, glittering evening that left the audience enthralled and even joining in at the end for Community Singing.

Festival Choristers

The Festival Choristers are a group that performs annual Christmas concerts at Ravindra Bharathi in Hyderabad. They are well-known for blending Western carols with Indian hymns. They consist of volunteer singers and instrumentalists from various walks of life, from students to professionals, who come together to spread messages of peace and harmony through music. Their performances have included a mix of musical genres, with a strong focus on festive and spiritual music for the Christmas season.

A diverse group of volunteer singers and instrumentalists from different backgrounds, faiths, and ages, including students and retired professionals. They perform traditional Christmas carols, hymns, and festive music, often blending Western and Indian musical styles.

Festive style

The concerts are known for creating a festive atmosphere, culminating in a community carol singing session where the audience joins in.

Mission

Their wholesome mission is to spread messages of peace, love, and harmony through music. This year, the theme was “Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.”

History

The group started 19 years ago, in 2006, by 3 civil servants, Dr Daphne Rebello, Aruna Bahuguna, and RachelChatterjee. It has been performing annually at Ravindra Bharathi since 2007, growing from smaller venues to accommodate a larger audience.

Song List

The audience was regaled with very diverse X’mas music, from classical to modern, in English, French, Caribbean, Hindi, and Telugu. Some of them were‘Caribbean Cradle Song’, a Traditional West Indian number, ‘Calypso Christmas’Composed by Natalie Sleeth, ‘How Beautiful Are the Feet’, composed by George Frideric Handel, ‘Chup Hai Chanda’, a traditional Hindicarol, part of our rich Indian cultural heritage, blendingWestern and Indian music, arranged and composed by Dr Naveen Elias, ‘O Holy Night’or Cantique de Noël, Composed by Adolphe Adam in 1847, ‘Christmas Lullaby’ composed by John Rutter, ‘Go to Him in Bethlehem’Composed by Pepper Choplin, ‘Joy Arising’, Composed by Joseph M. Martin, ‘Gloria’by Mozart, and even a Telugu Hymn-‘Devuni Priya Suthudu.’

One can find videos of their performances on platforms like YouTube. The Performance had 43 Choristers-18 Soprano singers, 10 Altos, 7 Tenors, and 8 Bass singers.

Conductor

The evening’s charismatic conductor was Dr. Navin Rajesh, who discovered his love for music early and began playing the organ in churches and conventions at just 12 years old. His passion for choral music led him to spend over two decades conducting church choirs in Chennai, shaping and inspiring many voices along the way. Now a member of St. John’s CSI Church, Secunderabad, he continues to serve through his musical gifts. Beyond his musical pursuits, Dr. Rajesh is a Scientist in toxicology, whose work has contributed significantly to new drug discovery and development across leading research organizations—reflecting a unique harmony of scientific dedication and artistic expression.

Multi-faceted Dr. Cecil Naveen Elias

Dr Elias is a medical doctor with a passion for music and French as a foreign language. He trains students for the ABRSM exams, which happen every year at his center in Sainikpuri (Agatha Music Centre). With a love for choral music, he has accompanied several choirs over the years and has been with the festival choristers since its inception. He was the organist of St. Mary's Church, Secunderabad, while he was living in Marredpally. He was a professor of FLE (French as a foreign language) at the Alliance Française of Hyderabad for 18 years. He played the 7-octaveYamaha digital piano for the concert. His musical performance was sublime, yet he modestly gives credit to others and says, “My students Paul David and Joseph Emmanuel played second keyboard. Another Student, Michael Ballem, played percussion on the drum pads of another keyboard. The Telugu song was accompanied by Juan Sebastian, another student of mine, on the piano with Anil Moses on rhythm guitar and Clayton Sheehan on the bass guitar. Little Joseph Emmanuel also veryably turned my pages!”

Dr Naveen Elias recorded all the voices for the choir - soprano, alto, tenor, bass, and descant parts and sent them to the coordinator, who then shared them in the choir WhatsApp group. He says, “That helps them learn their parts since not all know how to read music. I also recorded the accompaniment tracks to help them during practices while I wasn't there. I've been with the choir since its inception. I composed the parts for the Hindi song 'Chuphaichanda'. Also, for the ladies' song, I composed some counter melodies.”

Rising Star

Joseph Emmanuel, only 10 years old, is a very gifted child. He scored a very high distinction in his grade 5 piano exam for ABRSM - 140/150. He played second keyboard for one of the main repertoire songs –‘Christmas Lullaby,’ and for all of the community singing in the latter half of the program. The future of the Festival Choristers is safe in young hands like his.