THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Christmas is here and choristers in the city are ushering in the Yuletide spirit with heart-warming renditions. Highlight of the two major choirs is the recital of Carnatic-style songs besides the customary renditions.
Carol service of CSI Christ Church Palayam will be on Saturday at 6 pm. Carol service at the church is different for many reasons, prominent being the age-old style of rendition, says choir master Jogan Easow Mathew.
“The one-and-a-half hour long performance will see the recital of Biblical lessons and Christmas messages in between. There will be ten songs in Malayalam and English, both in Western and Eastern style songs. Highlights are the recital of a beautiful choral anthem and a Carnatic song,” he said.
The choir has also composed a new number titled “Soubhagyam” written and composed by siblings Bony Knox and Franklin Knox.
45 of the 85-member strong church choir will perform in the Carol services. Veteran musician and choir master of the St Joseph’s Church Palayam said the carol service will start at 11 pm on Saturday.
“There will be a new song in the choir recital during the Midnight Mass,” he said. Santhome Choir of St Thomas Marthoma Church Pattom made their maiden carol service at the church on Friday evening.
This is the third performance of the 51-year-old choir this season, after those conducted for YMCA and AIR. Choir director and renowned medical practitioner Dr Mathew Thomas said there are seven songs in their service, four in English and three in Malayalam, a Carnatic keerthanam is the highlight.
It would be rendered in all the traditional purity - in the accompaniment of instruments like violin and Ghadam,” he said. Prof Alappuzha Sreekumar, principal of Swathi Thirunal College of Music, has rendered music to the keerthanam penned by Mathew Thomas. The next service will be at the church for the Christmas Mass on December 25 at 5 am.