Generating a symphony of progressive multi-cultural choral sounds

The smile never fades, the voice never dips, the zeal never concedes. It’s not a coincidence that Sharmila Banerjee Livingston is a music conductor. Hers is a position that comes with responsibility and a tremendous amount of passion. Leading a group of choir singers who are preparing for a pre-Christmas musical get together, she orchestrates the sound of merry music that The Capital City Minstrels (CCM) are presenting today.

Earlier associated with church music, these groups, at present, position themselves as modern music-makers with topical themes forming the base of their changing sound systems. The origins of choral music can be traced back to ancient Greece. Back then, it held a sacred significance. Today, it dons a cosmopolitan avatar and acts as an instrument of direct communication. The fascinating way in which choirs bring an ocean of voices, each with varied sound textures, coalescing into one harmonious rhythm, these are finding back their lost relevance. “Choirs now are able to verbalize matters of social significance more openly. The one we are presenting talks of peace,” says Livingston.

Through an assemblage of songs curated for the show, peace in every aspect of life has been exemplified. We need it now more than ever, it seems, bearing in mind the fragility with which everything functions. “The repertoire, this year, celebrates all this through songs such as the rock ballad, Go, Light Your World by Chris Rice that urges everyone to keep hope alive and ‘hold out your candle for all to see it’, while Stevie Wonder’s Someday at Christmas prophesies that peace will come ‘when we have found what life’s really worth’. Dona Nobis Pacem is traditionally sung at Christmas for its message of peace, and A Christmas Blessing by Lloyd Larson and Pamela Stewart wishes the peace of the season to fill our world,” she says. 

Livingston, who has enjoyed her time singing in choirs for two decades, likes being on the other side now. It’s a test in patience. To bring the best out of a person’s voice, she must first be able to understand people. Her work also requires a lot of time to coordinate as the nature of the music requires active collective participation. As choral musicality picks through schools and concerts, more people like her will be required to lead the pack on a high note, collaborating and contributing towards generating a symphony of progressive multi-cultural sounds.