https://www.heraldgoa.in/Cafe/Reap-in-Joy-Brahms-Requiem-in-Goa/211677
The stunning revival of Goa’s centuries-old choral tradition crests another landmark next week, when the 100-singer Stuti Choral Ensemble performs Johannes Brahms’ unconventional masterpiece “Human Requiem” at three of our most magnificent heritage churches in Loutolim, Anjuna and Old Goa, along with another appearance at the Museum of Christian Art (which is not a full concert). Directed by Parvesh Java, and accompanied by the 20-member Stuti String Ensemble led by Eshvita Menezes with pianists Nadine Crasto and Smit Shah, along with soloists Farah Ghadiali, Oscar Castellino, Rahul Bharadwaj and Subin Mathai, this is another huge step forward for classical music in our part of the world, of a magnitude far beyond India’s smallest state. To be sure, there is unique context here in Goa, where India’s tryst with this kind of music first began. The late, great polymath José Pereira meticulously documented how choral traditions were initiated by the Jesuit priest Gaspar Barzeu (1515-1555), “native of Flanders and heir to a great tradition of Gothic mysticism and Renaissance music, who implanted western music in Goa, when he instituted the post of choirmaster (mestre capela), and initiated the custom of sung mass and of chants accompanied by the organ. Church schools taught children to sing the catechism, and we are told that their chants, echoing through Velha Goa in the evening, made the city itself seem "a chorus of music". By 1683, when the Pope’s emissary attended mass at Bom Jesus (where Stuti performs next Sunday), he was bowled over: “It was celebrated by seven choirs with the sweetest instrumental interludes. I felt I was in Rome. I could not believe how proficient these [Goans] are in this music, how well they perform it, and with what facility.” That was then – and it should be noted that good and often outstanding choirs did emerge throughout the intervening centuries – but when the dynamic Dr. Fr. Eufemiano Miranda first put together what would eventually become Stuti in 2004 (in collaboration with the visiting Kala Academy music teacher Nigel Dixon) there was nothing much remaining to build upon. He recounted to me that when an acclaimed visiting British choir director asked about what he could listen to at the time “it pricked me at the core of my heart, because I knew very well that we have this wonderful choral tradition, but there was nothing to show him. It very much hurt my Goan pride.” Father Eufemiano will turn an elegant 80 next May, but even in retirement still travels twice-weekly from Cortalim to Porvorim to practice with Stuti, where he’s now the oldest member (while 16-year-old Shanaya Vás is the youngest). He told me “the cause of music is above everything else, ahead of any personal ambitions” and has been a way of life for him since earliest childhood, when – like many Goans of his generation – uplifting classical compositions were ever-present at home, from his mother’s lullabies from Chopin and Mozart to his father’s favourite Beethoven symphonies. Later, while making his way through the seminaries of Saligao and Rachol – both have famous musical legacies – he persisted in these interests “within the limitations of our times” which – hindsight reveals – culminated in the historic 2009 founding of Stuti Choral Ensemble. Those were exciting days for classical music – especially vocal – in Goa, with lots of energy generated from multiple sources. The great Goan-British soprano Patricia Rozario launched her pioneering Giving Voice to India project the same year, quickly followed by teaching courses which nurtured a host of young singers. Then, in 2013, the game-changing Goa University Choir – the very first university choir in the country – came to life under the ebullient Argentinean-Spanish conductor Dr. Santiago Lusardi Girelli. Not long afterwards in 2015, it was Stuti’s turn to revamp, after Father Eufemiano encountered Parvesh Java, the disarming, distinguished young pianist, conductor and impresario (he prefers to describe himself somewhat inscrutably as “music factotum”) who was on his way to becoming resident in the state, and immediately drew the older man’s admiration: “I could see great competence in him: very good training in Chicago, Italy and Germany, really knows his instruments, but what is really important is his sensitivity to the music, and to our traditions.” Java is half the age of Father Miranda (in fact his 40th birthday is today), but his contributions to Goa and the Goan music scene have been of incalculable importance in these difficult pandemic years filled with suffering and loss (including the tragic demise of Maestro Girelli and the subsequent disbanding of his marvellous choir). Stepping into the breach with tremendous facility and flair, he ensured that Stuti has an ideal home – Kamra in Porvorim retains the physical profile of an old Goan house, but the old wooden doors open to state-of-the-art performance space – and proceeded to rally an astonishingly broad and inclusive range of musicians to his baton. Each successive performance since then has been more stellar than the last, and earlier this year on February 26th, Stuti delivered one of the most unforgettable concerts of my lifetime, with the entire Part II of Handel’s Messiah at Bom Jesus. What did Java do after that triumph? He made an open call, swelled the Stuti ranks, then set to work on Brahms Requiem, one of the most challenging choral works in existence. It would seem to be an extraordinary progression in an astonishingly short period, but the determined conductor insists “I’m not really surprised, I wouldn’t say. It’s really a reminder of what human beings are capable of with sincerity, transparency and commitment. What makes it possible in Goa is that there is a deep love of music which transcends differences, and allows us to function and explore new directions free from judgement. The last six months have been different because we’ve worked on details that we have not really had the ability or need to work on before. Also, with such a large ensemble, one needs to work even harder at creating unity of sound. As a result, I think the choir has transformed not just in number of singers but the level of singing. Without using superlatives (which I am generally against in principle), Stuti is getting better and able to deliver music at a much higher level than ever before.” That is actually quite an understatement, as everyone who attends next week’s performances in Loutolim, Anjuna and Old Goa are going to soon find out, and I have been privileged to get an advance preview of by attending Stuti’s last singers-only practice session at Kamra this past Thursday. The choir has greatly evolved and matured in comparison to what we heard just a few months ago, and developed an expansive, thrilling, deeply resonant sound all its own/ I was especially blown away when their soaring collective voices were joined by the awesome baritone of Oscar Castellino, the London-based (and Goan-origin) rising star of the international opera world who has been friends with Java for many years, and also starred in the spellbinding rendition of the Messiah during Lent earlier this year. His journey in music (after studying Physics in college) began after Patricia Rozario “discovered” his talents, urging Castellino to study with her at the Royal College of Music, and his schedule is now filled with professional singing engagements in the capitals of the world of western classical music. Yet, this thoughtful 37-year-old tells me that what’s happening with Stuti in Goa is also of notable significance: “Parvesh has developed tools, techniques and learning aids for the choir that I think are revolutionary as far as choral training is concerned. When I heard them sing for the first time in February, I thought it was a truly impressive feat - although there has never been a lack of musical talent in Goa - to see people come together to produce sound that most amateur choirs in the west would be proud of. Now, 7 months later, they have gone from strength to strength, and taken their music to a higher level.” Castellino says “it will be wonderful to sing in Loutolim, which is the village of my maternal grandmother” – his father’s roots are in Assagao – and that he has been touched by the enthusiastic support from his ancestral homeland: “singing in Goa has been a revelation as far as the reaction of audiences are concerned. There is something very supportive about Goan audiences that I have not encountered elsewhere.”