All-men choir in action

BENGALURU: When Deepak Hariharan, a vocalist with a rich background in classical and brass music, joined The Bangalore Men one-and-a-half year back, he was curious about the idea of an all-men choir. “I happened to attend one of their concerts in Bengaluru. The style of music and novelty in the idea of an all-male voice ensemble sparked my interest. I approached the choir and through a selection round, I became a part of it,” said Hariharan, adding, “At The Bangalore Men, each session is an enriching experience. We are focusing on techniques and nuances of Western music.” 

The Bangalore Men comprises men from 21- to 55-year-olds age group and was initiated by Jonas Olsson, a Swedish musician now settled in Indiranagar in January 2016. On Saturday, the choir will be performing a live concert, A Night at the Opera, in association with Bangalore School of Music. “The all-men choir tradition is strong in Sweden and other parts of Europe.

It started off in universities in the 1800s. The voice modulation, low male voices and bass gives a different experience. Initially, we has just nine members, now we have grown to a group of 20 musicians and have conducted 50 concerts across the country, including Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Goa and Mysuru. We’ve performed with Symphony Orchestra of India in Mumbai and participated in Ketevan World Sacred Music Festival in Goa and at the International Centre in New Delhi,” said Olssen, conductor, The Bangalore Men, who is working as an HR professional in Volvo India Group. 

The choir is an amalgamation of vocalists from various fields of work, including medical practitioners, teachers and software engineers. 

“The Bangalore Men is a platform where I can express myself. It is a place where we can work with and learn from established musicians. I have performed in a couple of semi-professional choirs in the city before I joined The Bangalore Men. But an all-men choir was something new for me,” said Dominic P D, software engineer of a multinational company.

The choir is well-known for their Western classical music performance of Choral Hymns from the Rig Veda composed by British composer Gustav Holst. Their upcoming event is also a fresh take on music. “On Saturday, The Bangalore Men will be performing opera with three female soloists. Our choir will be singing male opera choruses from some of the most beloved operas in Europe such as Carmen, The Magic Flute, Tosca and The Flying Dutchman,” Jonas said.

For 27-year-old Hariharan, it is going to be a new experience. “Sitting right here in Bengaluru, audience can enjoy the quality of music programmes happening in world,”  
The concert will be held at Bangalore International Centre, on August 10 at 6pm.