BENGALURU : Forty six students of Sophia High School are busy getting prepped for the ABSRM advanced-level choral exam, under the guidance of their music teacher, Abhishek Gnanaraj.
Claiming to be India’s first female choir to participate in a test at this level, the team has been training since January this year, and is expected to attend the exam on November 12 at the Bangalore School of
Music.
The exam is conducted for 30 minutes, during which, the students will have to showcase four pieces - A capella and three pieces with an instrumental accompaniment, the piano. The girls, who are in the age group of 12-15 years, have participated in school competitions and other music fests, and will jump from an equivalency of grade 1 to grade 5 in music if they pass the exam. “It takes a year to complete each grade, as you have to learn the techniques and skills thoroughly. So this is a huge opportunity for these talented girls,” says Abhishek.
Inspired by Franz Schubert and Benjamin Zander, Abhishek had kept the floor open to interested students, and was surprised to see a large number wanting to take up the challenge. “I had made it clear to them that this is purely Western Classical music,” says Abhishek. “Hopefully, the hard work will pay off,” he adds.
Aishwarya R Naidu, of class 10, says that she feels overwhelmed, as this is her first major performance. Another student, Tanya B S of class nine, adds that she hopes to get more exposure from this
opportunity, and understand the extent of the exam’s importance. “Our teacher believed in us,
and we want to make him proud,” says Tanya.