Ms Jean Kalgutkar --------------------------- Compliments of the Season ! I compliment you for the tenacity and patience to nuture this choir. As we are unable to attend the performances, do suggest where we could acquire CDs of your choir. Love & Prayers, Linus DLima RFC(USA) Sent on my BlackBerry® from Vodafone
-----Original Message----- From: Goanet Reader <[email protected]> Sender: [email protected]: Sun, 29 Dec 2013 18:32:33 To: Goa's premiere mailing list, estb. 1994!<[email protected]> Reply-To: [email protected] Subject: [Goanet-News] MUSIC: A Goan College Choir is Born ... performance on Jan 4, 2014, KA (Les Menezes) A Goan College Choir is Born BY LES MENEZES In April 2012, the film producer of "Mother Teresa", a film to be shot in Goa, asked Kala Academy if they could provide a choir to sing "Lead Kindly Light". This hymn, taught to Mahatma Gandhi by the Englishman C.F. Andrews, became his favourite and, later, Mother Teresa's too. The choir was hurriedly brought together by Jean Kalgutkar and Valerie Vaz. However, the shooting was cancelled. But the Choir did not die: the students from various colleges in Goa were fired with the idea of forming a College Choir. Nine months later, in December 2012, the College Choir of Kala Academy came into being through the innovative nurturing of Jean Kalgutkar, the Choir teacher at Kala Academy, and the encouragement coupled with a generous grant from Vishnu Wagh, Chairman of Kala Academy. The Choir immediately established itself by leaving large memorable footprints in Goa. Greatly assisted by Elvina Fernandes and Ashley do Rego it participated in the HELP Carol Competition, the Kala Academy Carol Festival, the Carmelite Monastery (Margao) Christmas Concert Concert and the Inauguration of the Mermaid. All four events in two weeks in December 2012! Their exuberant enthusiasm was irresiisitble. 2013 saw them take significant strides, featuring in the Kala Academy Annual Day in April and The Kala Academy Founder’s Day, 19 August. And now they stand on the threshold of their debut concert on January 4, 2014 at Kala Academy with a full concert featuring "Lead Kindly Light", the hymn that fostered the genesis of the choir followed by "Poili Santa Kurusachi Kuru", a Konkani Invocation arranged by Victor Paranjoti and re-arranged by Jean Karlgutkar. A German 14th Century Round "Personent Hodie" accompanied by two violins brings the opening section to a close. The challenge of A Capella singing is taken up in four songs spanning the Renaissance and Baroque periods: "Gloria Patri" by Giovani Palestrina (1525-1594), "Sing We and Chant It", a madrigal by Thomas Morley (1557-1603), "De Profundis" by Henry Purcel (1658-1695) from Ancient Hymns and Canticles, "O Sacred Head" from the St. Mathew Passion by J.S. Bach (1655-1750). A Capella singing is particularly difficult and a test of any choir because the voices harmonise without any accompaniment to guide them and keep them in perfect pitch. Jumping centuries and switching styles, they vary the pace, tone and mood with: "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep" written in the style of a Bach Chorale; "Drink to me only", a traditional love song; "Perhaps Love" written by John Denver and popularized by him and Placido Domingo; the ever popular "Home on the Range"; and, a Konkani Boat Song arranged by Victor Paranjoti. The concert comes to a close with a Dravidian Dithyramb, a Greek song of praise based on a Carnatic rag by Victor Paranjoti. The members of the Choir are a multi-college and multi-discipline group coming together once a week united in their music making to rehearse with great zeal and enthusiasm. Their Debut Concert on 4th January, 2014 at Kala Academy will showcase their varied talents finding one voice. Contact Jean Kalgutkar [email protected] Phone for Jean: +91-832-651 5281 http://www.flickr.com/photos/fn-goa/11622964283/
