Old and new: A wonderful mix

Linked in Song- presented by the Merry An Singers with the Christ College Choir, Bangalore, on May 10.

The performance was billed as a 'rare mix of harmonies in the tradition of good solo and choral music'- and fortunately that proved to be true.

The first half of the programme was performed by the Merry An Singers- drawn from the junior group, the senior choir and the newly formed MAGSAL SINGERS. The pick of the evening were Fuiniculi,Fenicula, Route 66, My Tribute, and Anthem for spring. One hears various versions of Fuiniculi,Fenicula, but this was truly refreshing. The soloist had a nice quality and the balance with the choir was good. Maybe next time he should avoid clearing his throat into the microphone.

The choir was at its best in My Tribute where the tenor soloist had a lot of stage presence and sang the part effortlessly. The choir got the right balance and had a fitting, grand ending. The junior choir was impressive- Andrew David did state that the choir was responsible for their choreography which I thought was incredible. Give children the space to be creative - trust me they can come up with wonders. The two boy sopranos need commendation. Two completely different types of songs, superbly done. Joshua singing Bach's Oh! Lord Hear Me was very soothing and on the other hand Viren was very dramatic when he sang I'm Leaning on the Lamp Post - amazing stage presence and beaming confidence!

The MAGSAL SINGERS- people who like to sing from the age of 40 to 91 performed songs from an era gone by. They sang from their heart and had a 'ball' on stage. In a day and age when one is too busy doing what you want, it's heartening to know that Mary Anne sacrifices time to spend with this group. Monte Holsinger brought the house down with his song played brilliantly on the guitar.

The second half featured the Christ College Choir- singing original songs composed by Sunil Chandi. What was obvious was that they attempted some tough modern music though my musical knowledge is insufficient to critique this. But from the audience reaction it went down extremely well.

They were especially impressive when they sang "Hush" and the "Disco Medley". The Cricket song was lovely. The two hosts enlightened us with the background of each song and did a very good job of it too.

The curtain came down with both choirs singing The Peace Song. I could only say one word: "Fabulous". Well done Mary Anne, Andrew and Andre and, of course, the Merry An Singers.