While tinsel-covered trees, illuminating stars and special feasts make up the spirit of the Christmas season, carols elevate the joy of the festival. Carollers from the city talk to Devrishi and Sonu M Kothari about this year’s celebrations and their renditions of the holy hymns
The start of Advent (the first Sunday of December) marks the beginning of the church management’s celebrations. They visit their members’ houses and sing bhajanai.
“The purpose of this visit is to spread joy and hope by wishing them Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,” said Rev Belshiya Ruth, associate presbyter.
Almost 800 families are part of the church, of which 600 families were visited this year, taking into account cyclone Michaung and the brief pause in our lives.
Divided into two groups of 15 each, the church stopped by 50 houses a day from 6.30 pm to 11 pm for four days a week. “It is only one day that we go to their homes. The families wait for us and our visit makes them happy and brings positivity,” shared Belshiya.
Here, verses from The Bible are also recited followed by a prayer. “The first week of December was very bad. When we visited our members’ houses they put forth their worries and the church helped them with their needs,” she said.
This also helps people bond with the church and believe that there is a new day of hope with every sunrise.
The choir of St Thomas Orthodox Cathedral Church was founded in the year 1969 by KM Mammen Mappillai, industrialist and founder of MRF. Specialised in fusing the cultural rituals in Malayalam, the choir stands as the first Malankara-organised choir in Tamil Nadu.
Performing since its inception, the group represented their choir at MMA’s Carol by Candlelight, Union Christian School and MCC school this season.
The choir consists of almost 35 members, within the age group of 15 and 90. Immersing into the cultural tapestry, the females of the choir graced the stage with Kerala kasavu sari and the men in jubba and angvastram.
The choir carries a rich heritage of compositions built by the late Jacob John, a renowned organist, and Jerry Amaldev, a Malayali music composer.
A few songs composed at different timelines include Emmanuel Innu Bhoojaathanayi, Rajadhi, Raja Deva Nayakan, and Bethlehem Puri Veedhiyil, written by George Joseph, a lyricist.
Preethi Susan Thomas, the conductor of the choir shared, “The choir aims to preserve the songs and its ancient practice. It’s overwhelming to look at diverse people belting their hearts out, when we go sing, around the city.”
Established by the British 130 years ago, there is a tradition that the Madras Musical Association (MMA) is keeping alive.
Performing for the 66th year, this season, Carols by Candlelight, is their annual Christmas programme. “We bring choirs together from the city to sing carols. Thousands of members from the audience sing along holding a candlelight,” said Augustine Paul, music director of MMA.
Usually conducted on the Saturday before Christmas, “This year, the mood was very low because of the rains and floods but last week we had some sunshine, so the spirit got picked up again,” shared Augustine.
Dressed in white and black, 100 members of the choir sang traditional songs such as like O Come, All Ye Faithful and Silent Night. With a total of 40 songs — a mix of traditional and contemporary — 20 are in English and others in Tamil and Malayalam. Tamil songs are composed by Tamil Churches and MMA composes in English. “We try to release at least two new songs every year,” added Augustine.
The performance includes songs released internationally on YouTube. Augustine pointed out that this Christmas, though people are suffering from the rains and floods, there will be a new sunshine tomorrow answering all our sorrows.
Shifting towards the festive hymns of Gen Z, Jabashlin T, a music teacher at the Velammal School sowed the seeds of harmonius carols in the hearts of his preteen students.
The 16 children school choir participated in an inter-school carol competition, Hymns and Hums Season 5, at the Shree Niketan Pathsala on December 16.
In bright red-white attires, the kids presented a mashup of festive symphonies, which included “Go Tell It to the Mountain”, “Joy to the World”, “Georgia” and “Jingle Bells”.
Jabashlin started his journey learning Carnatic music from Adyar Music College. His niche is blending his classic skills into the contemporary style. “I learnt carols listening to choirs since I was born, and I passed it on to the kids at the school”.
The singer-teacher with a three-piece band named “The Jabba Live Band” performed his first carol event two years ago at Sholinganallur with around 100 attendees. Sharing the experience, he said.
“It was a magical moment which portrayed how a festival is not meant for a specific religion but a celebration of happiness for all.”
Apart from this, Jabashlin also holds an academy named The Helen Music Academy, in Medavakkam, set up 2 years ago to enlighten the youth with the harmonies of carols.