The Srope Kadheshe choir with His Grace Geevarghese Mar Philoxenos. To the proper, in black, is Vinod Simon, conductor.
| Photograph Credit score: Particular association
The historical past of the Malankara Orthodox Church in Chennai is pinned in place with its first residence on Stringer Road in Broadway. Right here, in a garrison church in 1916 that later grew to become the St Thomas Orthodox Cathedral, the church established a diocese that now encompasses many parishes within the metropolis, and others throughout Southeast Asia and Oceania as nicely.
Vinod Simon conducting the orchestra and Srope Kadheshe choir throughout a rehearsal
| Photograph Credit score:
Particular association
Srope Kadheshe, (which means ‘voice of angels’ in Syriac), is the diocesan choir of the Orthodox Church, shaped in 2010, drawn from 12 church buildings in and round Chennai. Over time, they’ve carried out for festivals and church companies, singing in a single voice, to worship and lift funds for supported charities. This weekend they are going to be joined by choristers from Coimbatore, Tiruchi and Puducherry for Subaho Smayono, a music live performance in a large number of languages, that includes 235 voices and a dwell orchestra.
Vinod Simon, choir conductor and secretary, Srope Kadheshe, says, “The choir has been performing for a few years, however that is the primary time we now have 235 voices, an thought inspired by the bishop of the Madras diocese and president of the choir, His Grace Geevarghese Mar Philoxenos. The orchestra is drawn from members of the Madras Chamber Orchestra.”
Vinod is a chemical engineer and industrialist who has been conducting choirs since 1990. “Music is a ardour,” says Vinod, who has been related to two choirs, Celestial Voices and Dhwani, an eight-member ensemble. “This live performance is to lift funds for Sneha Bhavan, a house for household and care-givers of sufferers at CMC, Vellore, and different senior citizen tasks. We hope that this can assist the constructing of extra rooms and facilities,” he provides.
Since June, Vinod has had his work reduce out for him — amalgamating the voices of the choir from totally different church buildings. “Since they had been already choristers,it wasn’t too exhausting. That is additionally an encouragement for choirs from church buildings of far-flung areas reminiscent of Avadi and Tambaram.”
The 235-voice choir options almost 165 girls. The choristers are aged between 13 and 72 years and are drawn from a cross-section of individuals— college students, academicians, medical doctors, software program engineers, homemakers and bankers.
Likewise, the repertoire for the night is drawn from throughout the musical canon – Greek chants (particularly one that’s composed by St Nectorius), Syriac songs (the staple of the Orthodox Church and that includes these sung on Easter Sunday), English songs reminiscent of ‘Shout to the Lord’, ‘How Nice Thou Artwork’, and songs in Malayalam. “Most songs can be sung in four-part concord and the live performance can even characteristic some non-religious music. The orchestration is by Father John Samuel and musicians Jim Sathya and Augustine Paul.”
The live performance can even characteristic the one piece of music that the viewers listens to standing as a result of custom and the fantastic thing about it calls for it — everybody’s beloved ‘Hallelujah Refrain’ from Handels’ soul-stirring oratorio, Messiah.
The live performance is on October 29, 6pm, at St Thomas School Auditorium, Koyambedu. For donor passes of ₹1,000, ₹500 and ₹250 contact 9677281839 or 9940249126.