CHENNAI : The city will witness a musical event that bridges countries and cultures through the universal language of song. The Emmy-Award-winning and Grammy-nominated Philadelphia Boys Choir and Chorale (PBCC), from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, will grace the Museum Theatre in Egmore for their first-ever concert in the city.
Titled ‘Music Across Boundaries’, this event promises to be a night of rich choral traditions and musical excellence. Chennai’s own Madras Musical Association Choir (MMA) and the Madras MBS Choir will join PBCC on stage. The PBCC tour will have musical exchanges with Chennai Children’s Choir, part of NalandaWay Foundation.
Augustine Paul, the music director of the MMA Choir, shared his enthusiasm for this international collaboration, saying, “This concert will have a full spectrum of choral music. The PBCC has a good variety of songs, The Madras MBS choir will be doing Indian choral music while MMA will be doing Western classical and the finale will be with 175 voices.”
Choral collaboration
This concert is brought to Chennai by Classical Movements, a concert tour company known for creating meaningful cultural experiences across 147 countries. The PBCC, under the direction of Jeffrey R Smith, will present a programme that includes a diverse mix of American patriotic, classical, spiritual, sacred, and popular music. The 65-member choir, known as America’s Ambassadors of Song has performed globally, earning accolades for their exceptional musical and interpretive abilities.
The choir scene in Chennai has a storied history, deeply influenced by the European presence in the city during the last century. Augustine reflected on this evolution, sharing, “Chennai boasts a strong choral tradition. The number of choirs has certainly increased over the last two decades, and the standard is also steadily rising with many young singers taking to choral singing.”
He went on to add, “Apart from doing our own concerts, we promote young talent. Our string orchestra has many young players in their teens, and we do a monthly open recital, which sees a lot of young talent.”
This collaboration promises a full spectrum of choral music, with PBCC bringing a varied selection of songs, the Madras MBS Choir presenting Indian choral music, and the MMA Choir showcasing Western classical pieces. The grand finale with a blend of 175 voices, is sure to create an unforgettable auditory experience.
As Augustine shares, “I’m glad to see the awareness of Western classical music growing and Chennai music lovers turning up for such concerts in good numbers. The Museum Theatre opening after almost five years is a boon to Western music.”
For those eager to be part of this cultural exchange, tickets are available for Rs 1,000 and Rs 400 online and at local choristers.
‘Music Across Boundaries’ will be conducted at Museum Theatre, Today at 7 pm. For booking, visit: bookmyshow.com