A Cappella Ensemble Presents Wide Seasonal Repertoire
A cappella ensemble, juniors to seniors, delivers global sounds and seasonal spirit
Hyderabad: A varied evening of festive music came together at Ravindra Bharathi with Beyond Christmas, a concert performed by a secular cappella choir alongside its junior chorus. The programme moved from children’s pieces to senior ensemble work, with solos, duets and a quartet adding movement through the set.
The junior chorus, with singers aged 4 to 15, opened with ‘Go Light Your World, Let It Be Christmas’ and ‘Winter Wonderland’, supported by piano, guitar and drums. Senior performers followed with pieces such as ‘Alleluia’, ‘A New Noel’, ‘Sending You a Little Christmas’, ‘White Christmas’, ‘Seasons of Love’ and ‘I Will Follow Him’.
Later sections included ‘Siyahamba’, the quartet version of ‘All I Want for Christmas’ and the final medley, ‘A Holiday Road of Carols’, conducted by Nise Meruno, with Riddhiman Dutta as assistant conductor.
Nathaniel D., a choir member, described the group as a mix of many identities and experiences. “We have people from all walks of life. We do jazz, pop, Broadway and choral arrangements, and there’s no biasness in our choir,” he said. He added that singing together gives members a sense of belonging, saying, “We come from different places, but on stage it feels like one space.”
One of the core representatives of the team explained that the title ‘Beyond Christmas’ came from conversations about how people relate to the season.
“Beyond Christmas celebrates the birth of Christ and the holiday spirit. Many of the songs that we sang were about the joy of the season, the festive season, and not all of them were based on just Christmas, hence the name “Beyond Christmas,” Ashrita D’Souza, co-founder and director of the choir told Deccan Chronicle. She said this helped them choose songs that fit the mood of the season without limiting the programme to carols.
Performers said ‘Siyahamba’, an African folk piece about marching toward freedom, was a moment they enjoyed as a group. One member said it reflected their wish to move past assumptions about how choirs in the city usually sound. The faster items toward the end drew strong audience responses. “When something is peppy, the audience really love it,” another chorister said.
Members also spoke about the group’s focus on a cappella work and the close rehearsal schedule that supports it. Nathaniel said, “We are always on pitch, thankfully, and we also take part in small outreach activities with underprivileged communities, and that sets us apart,” he said.
