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About Deepalaya Choral Group
Choral music or group singing had its origins in the Western
world, with the Greek and Jewish cultures of the pre-Christian
era believed to be where the foundations of this form of music
were laid. The Choral traditions were transformed through centuries
in various forms, mainly as a form of worship. From around year
1450 AD onwards, the Western music scene saw the emergence of
famous classical composers of Choral music like Palestrina,
Andrea and Giovanni Gabrielli, J.S. Bach, Beethoven and George
Frideric Handel. However, secular Choral singing started in
earnest only after 1600 AD, mainly with the coming of Italian
operas.
After the Political and Industrial revolutions of the 18th
and 19th centuries, Choral music evolved to encourage loyalty
among various groups and social structures through sponsorships
of Choral groups. Choral music also became the ideal medium
for nationalistic sentiments, especially in times of war and
crises. The Choral Group of world renowned pop singers who came
together for a superstar charity recording 'We are the World'
(USA for Africa) to raise funds for famine relief in Ethiopia
in 1985, comes to mind among recent famous Choral events on
the international popular music stage.
Choral singing in India has been kept alive by the often criticized
State organs like All India Radio and Doordarshan, with Netaji
Subhas Chandra Bose's Indian National Army anthems like 'kadam
kadam badhaaye ja' and other patriotic Choral presentations
being aired/telecast to reinforce nationalistic feelings. Secular
Choral groups like 'Calcutta Youth Choir' and other more religious
based ones like the 'Paranjoti Academy Chorus' of Mumbai and
our own city's 'Delhi Christian Chorus' and the 'Capital City
Minstrels' have helped to carry forward the Choral traditions.
Now we have this unique attempt at a secular, multi-lingual
Choral Group from Deepalaya, an NGO that has been more known
for its work in the slums of Delhi and in developmental work
for the less advantaged sections of society. This Choral group
is special in that it comprises children from the less privileged
strata of society. The present inaugural concert has around
300 children participating, with the number expected to go up
to 700 in the near future.
The architect and driving force behind this huge Choral group
of school children is Rtn TK Mathew, the Secretary and Chief
Executive, the spirit behind Deepalaya. In fact, Rtn Mathew
has been in the forefront of trying to form a sizeable Choral
group through various organizations that he is part of and after
some sincere but unsuccessful earlier attempts, he has finally
been able to fulfill his cherished dream of having a large,
multidimensional Choir in the capital city of Delhi.
The Deepalaya Choral Group is being conducted by a relatively
young Director, Mr Sunny C Varughese, who also leads one of
the prominent Church Choirs of Delhi and has guided his Choir
to several trophies in Music Competitions, in addition to conducting
the Choir in performances at exclusive events like Rashtrapati
Bhavan's Christmas Carol programmes and the YMCA's Festival
of Choirs, amongst others.
225 children from marginalized society, but nurtured by Deepalaya,
not-so-fluent in foreign languages, showcase how they have developed
their latent talents in Choral singing. They have been undergoing
rigorous training in Choral singing on a regular basis as part
of their curriculum. Despite all odds, they have achieved a
certain level of professionalism, which has enabled them to
win prizes despite the stiff competition from experienced Choir
groups at Kerala Christian Association and St Thomas Marthoma
Syrian Church. That they have progressed in the right direction
and can hold their own on the stage was amply proved by their
participation in Georges Bizet's French Opera 'Carmen', which
was produced by the Neemrana Group in association with the Ashok
Group at Kamani Auditorium in April 2008.
This indeed reinforces Deepalaya's belief that 'Given a Chance,
every Child can become a Star'.
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