As it turns out, Suresh Chandvankar just put up these Konkani recordings by the Paranjoti Choir on archive.org.
https://archive.org/details/n-92050-7-xjw-103-104 On Mon, 19 Oct 2020 at 23:47, Frederick Noronha <[email protected]> wrote: > Bombay Madrigal Singers > From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia > https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombay_Madrigal_Singers > > The Bombay Madrigal Singers was a choir group -- promoting > concerts and operas too in the western Indian city -- formed > in 1947 by Victor Paranjoti that initially performed sacred > Western music.[1] It had a supporting committee named the > Bombay Madrigal Singers Organisation (BMSO).[1] > > Contents > > 1 History > 2 Taking to the outside world > 3 Overseas participation > 4 Operas > 5 Prominent acronym > 6 Orchestras and music societies > 7 References > > History > > The Bombay Madrigal Singers Organisation was formed in 1947, > the year of Indian Independence. After Victor Paranjoti left > to form the Bombay Light Opera Sabha, and the BMSO was being > run by committee members led by conductor-tenor Cesar > Coelho.[2] The choir was, according to Havaldar, mostly Goan > with a few Parsis, and almost no one from any other > community. The orchestra was collected ad hoc and was often > formed of Bollywood musicians, which, Havaldar explained, was > problematic as they would need to be coaxed away from the > lure of paid employment in the film studios. But the > organisation ceased activities after awhile. It was inactive > through the 1970s was defunct by 1980. > > Taking to the outside world > > In the 1950s and 1960s, according to Alfred J. Braganza, the > Bombay Madrigal Singers, under the baton of Victor Paranjoti, > "performed with success Konkani songs collected and arranged > by Prof. Lucio Rodrigues in some of the premier cities of > Europe."[3] > > Overseas participation > > Wanting to go beyond concerts of local singers, the BMSO also > began promoting concerts by international visiting classical > music artists. They also promoted concerts by Indian > artists.[2] It worked with Bombay-based embassies -- > including the British Council, the American Consulate, the > Russian Consulate and the Czech Consulate. These > institutions would support and sponsor artists travelling in > Asia. Visiting artistes would be asked to play for a reduced > fee or free.[2] It has been credited with bringing in > "artistes and orchestras of the best calibre coming here, > courtesy the Bombay Madrigal Singers Organisation (BMSO)" -- > including Karajan, Rubinstein, Kempff, Oistrakh, Ruggiero > Ricci, the Bolshoi Ballet, Vienna Boys' Choir.[4] Among the > others who came thorough Bombay were Arthur Rubinstein, > Mstislav Rostropovich, Marian Anderson, Isaac Stern, Herbert > Von Karayan, the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, the London > Symphony Orchestra and the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra.[2] > > Operas > > Later, the BMSO put on operas on their own, with local > musicians and singers, and Cesar Coelho as conductor. In > 1961, with a full Indian cast, they staged their first opera, > sometimes later bringing in tenors and baritones from the UK, > with British producer named Derek Bond. The cast included > Indian female soloists included Goans Celia Lobo and Fay > Sequeira.[2] Between 1961 and 1967, the Bombay Madrigal > Singers staged La Traviata, Tosca, Il Trovatore, Lucia di > Lammermoor, Faust, Norma and Rigoletto. They used Tejpal > Hall at Gwalior Tank as their concert venue over fight > nights, gaining huge popularity.[2] > > Prominent acronym > > Marsdem comments: > > As I discussed the history of Western classical > music with informants, friends and acquaintances in > Mumbai, two names kept recurring: the Time and > Talents Club and the Bombay Madrigal Singers > Organisation, most commonly referred to by its > acronym BMSO. Older members of the scene would > mention these names without explanation, as if it > were inconceivable that I wouldn't know who, or > what, they were talking about. An internet search > did not reveal much; both the Time and Talents and > the BMSO had become inactive before websites and > social media became prevalent. Still, the more > time I spent in Mumbai, the more often I heard > these names, and I realised that both societies had > played an integral part in the history of Western > classical music in Mumbai.[1](p.115-116) > > Orchestras and music societies > > In Bombay (now Mumbai), smaller orchestras and music > societies existed along the way. Those named include Cecil > Mendonca’s Choral and Philharmonic Society in the 1940s, the > Bombay Madrigal Singers’ operas in the 1960s, the Sangat > Festival Orchestra, organised by the Mehli Mehta Music > Foundation, "which formed for a short time each year from > 1996 until just a few years ago".[5] Bombay also had its > symphony orchestras, for all but 12 years since 1920.[5] > > References > > Marsden, Hannah (June 2018). Western Classical Music in > Mumbai: Global Music, Local Meanings. > > https://pure.royalholloway.ac.uk/portal/files/33116377/Hannah_Marsden_PhD_final.pdf > : > Thesis submitted for the degree of PhD in Ethnomusicology at > the Department of Music of Royal Holloway, University of > London. p. 106. > > Marsden, Hannah (June 2018). Western Classical Music in > Mumbai: Global Music, Local Meanings. > > https://pure.royalholloway.ac.uk/portal/files/33116377/Hannah_Marsden_PhD_final.pdf > : > Thesis submitted for the degree of PhD in Ethnomusicology at > the Department of Music of Royal Holloway, University of > London. pp. 116–119. > > Braganza, Alfred F. (1983). "GOAN SONGS AND MUSIC". > Journal of South Asian Literature. 18 (1): 159–164. ISSN > 0091-5637. > > Banerjee, Agniva (2009-11-15). "Just like ol' times". DNA > India. Retrieved 2020-09-26. > > Marsden, Hannah. "Note by note: The long and undulating > history of symphony orchestras in Mumbai". Scroll.in. > Retrieved 2020-09-26. > -- > FN* फ्रेड्रिक नोरोन्या * فريدريك نورونيا +91-9822122436 > -- *City Adrift: A Short Biography of Bombay*. Information here <http://www.alephbookcompany.com/book/city-adrift-a-short-biography-of-bombay/> . Stories and music related to *Taj Mahal Foxtrot: The Story of Bombay's Jazz Age*, at www.tajmahalfoxtrot.com
