At The Hindu’s Made of Chennai photo exhibition, the Madras MBS Choir takes the stage

On Saturday, the Madras MBS Choir, the oldest surviving Indian choral music group within the nation, took their locations in two neat rows, in an unlikely location. Their stage for the night was The Hindu’s Made Of Chennai archival photograph exhibition titled ‘Madras On Stage’; a setting that featured a slice of their historical past as effectively, amongst many different pictures exploring the story of town’s tradition by its performances and public areas. 

As members excitedly pointed to a photograph of the choir on the exhibition, clicked in December 2008 throughout a efficiency in Chennai, Gayathree Krishna, secretary mentioned that not less than seven members of the choir from that photograph had been there to carry out on the exhibition. 

The primary Studio photograph of our Choir with MB Srinivasan, throughout November 1974
| Picture Credit score:
Madras MBS Choir archives

The choir was thrilled once they discovered that their {photograph} was part of the exhibition and Thirupurasundari Sevvel, founder, Nam Veedu Nam Oor Nam Kadhai who curated the exhibition, facilitated their efficiency there. 

“Previously referred to as the Madras Youth Choir, the Madras MBS Choir was based in1971 by composer MB Srinivasan, who was a pioneer of Indian choral music. He infused parts of western concord into Indian choral music. Through the years, internet have grown as a motion, to take Indian choral music to a wider viewers,” Gayathree mentioned. 

Having been part of the choir for 25 years now, Gayathree mentioned that their repertoire attracts from a spread of Indian compositions that look past movie music and spiritual compositions; songs concerning the setting, patriotism, social values and extra are sung throughout languages. 

With 45 members at current, lots of their songs are organized in a six-part concord, with the women in alto, soprano 1 and soprano 2, and the lads as bass, mid tenor and excessive tenor. 

The choir, pictured right here with filmmaker Satyajit Ray
| Picture Credit score:
Madras MBS Choir archives

On the exhibition, the youngsters’s wing of the choir sang two songs, adopted by the Madras MBS Choir, which sang two songs as effectively. 

Of the present power of over 40 members, some, like D Ramachandran, have been with the choir since its inception in 1971. “My love for music is what drew me to becoming a member of the choir. That is additionally a really distinctive style, and singing with a bunch has not simply given me power, but additionally constructed my confidence over time,” he mentioned. 

The members, starting from academics to writers and company professionals come collectively each Sunday for follow periods and conferences. “Singing has helped us type bonds, and this has been therapeutic,” mentioned S Janaki, who joined the choir a 12 months in the past. 

Welcoming individuals of all ages to affix, the choir is particularly eager to see extra kids come on board, united by a shared love of music and efficiency. 

The Hindu’s Made Of Chennai archival photograph exhibition, ‘Madras On Stage’, incorporates a assortment of uncommon photographs from the newspaper’s archives, which seeks to doc town by its performing arts, public levels and extra. The photographs traverse a spectrum of levels; a uncommon photograph paperwork Russian actor G.M. Pechnikov doing a job of Lord Rama in a stage manufacturing of Ramayana in 1982, and the newer photographs characteristic a number of stars from the Tamil movie trade coming collectively for protests and solidarity walks for a spread of social points.

September 15 is the final day to view The Hindu’s Made Of Chennai Archival Picture Exhibition, Madras On Stage. For extra particulars, log onto https://madeofchennai.thehindu.com/