Shillong Chamber Choir
Encyclopedia
Shillong Chamber Choir is an India
n chamber choir
based in Shillong
; founded in 2001, it shot to fame after it won the a reality talent show, India's Got Talent
(Season 2
) in October 2010, on Colors TV, part of the Got Talent franchise, where it performed western chorals, as well as choral-style revamps of Hindi film (Bollywood
) classics .
Prior to it, the choir also participated in the 6th World Choir Games
held at Shaoxing
China (Shanghai
) in July 2010 and was awarded with Gold Diplomas in all the three categories – Musica Sacra, Gospel and Popular.
, dubbed as rock capital of India on January 14 and 15, 2001, with Neil Nongkynrih, a concert pianist as their conductor, and continued performing ever since. Neil Nongkynrih, studied at the Guild Hall School of Music and Trinity College
, London, and thereafter worked as a concert pianist for 13 years in Europe, before returning to Shillong in Meghalaya, and starting the choir with local youth.
Today, it contains 25 member including fifteen singers, and other musicians and soloist, apart from conductor, Neil Nongkynrih. The choir’s repertoire includes works of western classical music, including Handel, Bach, Gershwin and Mozart, from hits by rock group Queen, and Khasi folk songs and opera. Over the years it has performed in in Britain, Poland, Switzerland, Sri Lanka, Italy and the Indian cities of Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai and Guwahati; and in 2008 “The Shillong Chamber Choir” is a short film, was directed by Bollywood scriptwriter Urmi Juvekar
, sponsored by Government of India
.
The choir performed with the visiting Vienna Chamber Orchestra
in March, 2009 at Shillong and Kolkata
, and was invited to perform in Sri Lanka. Then in July 2010, the choir was selected by ICCR
for a Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region
(MDoNER) sponsored trip to participate at the 6th World Choir Games
(Choir Olympics) held at Shaoxing
China (Shanghai
) in July 2010, where it was a lone Indian group amidst over 8,055 singers in 209 choirs from more than 60 countries, besides 14,072 Chinese singers in 260 choirs took part in choral competitions in 20 categories., got gold diplomas (not the top awards) in three categories: Musica-Sacra (sacred music), Gospel (medley of few songs) and Popular (medley of Bollywood and English numbers). This came after its earlier participation at the 2nd World Choir Games, in South Korea (2002), won it a silver diploma in the folklore category.
It participated in reality talent show, India's Got Talent
(Season 2
) in September 2010, on Colors TV., after participating in Kolkata
auditions, which they qualified and then survived the elimination rounds, where they sang chose to sing Hindi film classics Ajeeb Daastan Hai Yeh from Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai
(1960) and Yeh Dosti from Sholay
(1975) in the semi final round. The coir grew immensely popular in the Northeast India and even Union minister of state for Rural Development, Agatha Sangma
appealed to the people of the Northeast to vote for the group in the finals, when she visit the group in Mumbai. It went on to win the show finale on October 2, where they sang a choral version of Hindi film song, Tu Aashiqui Hai from Jhankaar Beats
(2003), while drummer Teji Toko from Arunachal Pradesh came second, and Sikh martial arts group Bir Khalsa came in third.
The choir performed at President Pratibha Patil
’s presidential banquet at the Rashtrapati Bhavan
on November 8, for the US president, Barack Obama
and Michelle Obama, during their November 2010 state visit to India
. They have already performed once at Rashtrapati Bhavan
at the invitation of then president, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam on Christmas 2002.
On October 28th and 29th 2011, they performed again with The Vienna Chamber Orchestra in Shillong in a concert called "Bollywood Leitmotifs Also..." whereby melodies from Indian Cinematic music was revamped for the choir and orchestra by their conductor Neil Nongkynrih.On October 30th 2011, they collaborated with Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy at the second Global Indian Music Awards(GIMA) which was shown on Colors channel.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n chamber choir
Chamber choir
A chamber choir or group of chamber singers is the choral equivalent of a chamber ensemble, using voices instead of instruments. This prestigious choir will usually consist of 20-40 elite and dedicated singers. Several chamber choir formats exist, ranging from barbershop groups to exclusively...
based in Shillong
Shillong
-Connectivity:Although well connected by road, Shillong has no rail connection and a proper air connection. Umroi Airport exists but has only limited flights.-Roadways:Shillong is well connected by roads with all major north eastern states...
; founded in 2001, it shot to fame after it won the a reality talent show, India's Got Talent
India's Got Talent
India's Got Talent is the Indian franchise of the Got Talent series, and is a cooperative effort between India's TV channel Colors and Britain's FremantleMedia. The first episode of India's Got Talent premiered on June 27, 2009. India's Got Talent follows the global Got Talent format, in which...
(Season 2
India's Got Talent (season 2)
The second season of India’s Got Talent started from July 30, 2010. It will air every Friday and Saturday at 9 pm on Colors.-Judges:Indian actress Sonali Bendre, Bollywood Director/Anchor Sajid Khan, and actress Kiron Kher are the season 2 judges.-Winners:...
) in October 2010, on Colors TV, part of the Got Talent franchise, where it performed western chorals, as well as choral-style revamps of Hindi film (Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
) classics .
Prior to it, the choir also participated in the 6th World Choir Games
World Choir Games
The World Choir Games is the largest choir competition in the world. Organized for amateur choirs from all over the world, regardless of their country of origin, race, genre of music or artistic ambitions, its motto is "Singing together brings nations together"...
held at Shaoxing
Shaoxing
Shaoxing is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China. Located on the south bank of the Qiantang River estuary, it borders Ningbo to the east, Taizhou to the southeast, Jinhua to the southwest, and Hangzhou to the west. It was once known as "越"...
China (Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
) in July 2010 and was awarded with Gold Diplomas in all the three categories – Musica Sacra, Gospel and Popular.
History
The choir made its debut performance at Pinewood Hotel in ShillongShillong
-Connectivity:Although well connected by road, Shillong has no rail connection and a proper air connection. Umroi Airport exists but has only limited flights.-Roadways:Shillong is well connected by roads with all major north eastern states...
, dubbed as rock capital of India on January 14 and 15, 2001, with Neil Nongkynrih, a concert pianist as their conductor, and continued performing ever since. Neil Nongkynrih, studied at the Guild Hall School of Music and Trinity College
Trinity College of Music
Trinity College of Music is one of the London music conservatories, based in Greenwich. It is part of Trinity Laban.The conservatoire is inheritor of elegant riverside buildings of the former Greenwich Hospital, designed in part by Sir Christopher Wren...
, London, and thereafter worked as a concert pianist for 13 years in Europe, before returning to Shillong in Meghalaya, and starting the choir with local youth.
Today, it contains 25 member including fifteen singers, and other musicians and soloist, apart from conductor, Neil Nongkynrih. The choir’s repertoire includes works of western classical music, including Handel, Bach, Gershwin and Mozart, from hits by rock group Queen, and Khasi folk songs and opera. Over the years it has performed in in Britain, Poland, Switzerland, Sri Lanka, Italy and the Indian cities of Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai and Guwahati; and in 2008 “The Shillong Chamber Choir” is a short film, was directed by Bollywood scriptwriter Urmi Juvekar
Urmi Juvekar
Urmi Juvekar is an Indian screenwriter and documentary filmmaker. A graduate in Social Work from Bombay University, her first job was with Xavier's Institute of Communication. Urmi has written many Indian feature films including the Superhit Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!...
, sponsored by Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
.
The choir performed with the visiting Vienna Chamber Orchestra
Vienna Chamber Orchestra
The Vienna Chamber Orchestra is an Austrian chamber orchestra based at the Vienna Konzerthaus....
in March, 2009 at Shillong and Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
, and was invited to perform in Sri Lanka. Then in July 2010, the choir was selected by ICCR
Iccr
ICCR stands for:* Indian Council for Cultural Relations* The Interdisciplinary Centre for Comparative Research in the Social Sciences* Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility* International Centre for Classroom Research...
for a Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region
Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (India)
The Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region is a Government of India ministry, established in September 2001, which functions as the nodal Department of the Central Government to deal with matters related to the socio-economic development of the eight States of Northeast India, Arunachal...
(MDoNER) sponsored trip to participate at the 6th World Choir Games
World Choir Games
The World Choir Games is the largest choir competition in the world. Organized for amateur choirs from all over the world, regardless of their country of origin, race, genre of music or artistic ambitions, its motto is "Singing together brings nations together"...
(Choir Olympics) held at Shaoxing
Shaoxing
Shaoxing is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China. Located on the south bank of the Qiantang River estuary, it borders Ningbo to the east, Taizhou to the southeast, Jinhua to the southwest, and Hangzhou to the west. It was once known as "越"...
China (Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
) in July 2010, where it was a lone Indian group amidst over 8,055 singers in 209 choirs from more than 60 countries, besides 14,072 Chinese singers in 260 choirs took part in choral competitions in 20 categories., got gold diplomas (not the top awards) in three categories: Musica-Sacra (sacred music), Gospel (medley of few songs) and Popular (medley of Bollywood and English numbers). This came after its earlier participation at the 2nd World Choir Games, in South Korea (2002), won it a silver diploma in the folklore category.
It participated in reality talent show, India's Got Talent
India's Got Talent
India's Got Talent is the Indian franchise of the Got Talent series, and is a cooperative effort between India's TV channel Colors and Britain's FremantleMedia. The first episode of India's Got Talent premiered on June 27, 2009. India's Got Talent follows the global Got Talent format, in which...
(Season 2
India's Got Talent (season 2)
The second season of India’s Got Talent started from July 30, 2010. It will air every Friday and Saturday at 9 pm on Colors.-Judges:Indian actress Sonali Bendre, Bollywood Director/Anchor Sajid Khan, and actress Kiron Kher are the season 2 judges.-Winners:...
) in September 2010, on Colors TV., after participating in Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
auditions, which they qualified and then survived the elimination rounds, where they sang chose to sing Hindi film classics Ajeeb Daastan Hai Yeh from Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai
Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai
Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai is a 1960 Hindi movie produced by S. A. Bagar and directed by Kishore Sahu. The film stars Raaj Kumar, Meena Kumari, Nadira, Tun Tun, Helen and Om Prakash. The films music is by Shankar Jaikishan. One of the most famous songs in the film is Ajeeb Dastaan Hai Yeh sung by...
(1960) and Yeh Dosti from Sholay
Sholay
Sholay is a 1975 Indian action-adventure film produced by G.P. Sippy and directed by his son Ramesh Sippy. It is considered among the greatest films in the history of Indian cinema. Released on 15 August 1975, it stars Dharmendra, Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Sanjeev Kumar, Jaya Bhaduri and...
(1975) in the semi final round. The coir grew immensely popular in the Northeast India and even Union minister of state for Rural Development, Agatha Sangma
Agatha Sangma
Agatha K. Sangma is a Member of Parliament of India , and part of the 15th Lok Sabha. She represents the Tura constituency of Meghalaya state, and won the Indian parliamentary elections as a candidate of the Nationalist Congress Party . Presently she is youngest Minister of State in the current...
appealed to the people of the Northeast to vote for the group in the finals, when she visit the group in Mumbai. It went on to win the show finale on October 2, where they sang a choral version of Hindi film song, Tu Aashiqui Hai from Jhankaar Beats
Jhankaar Beats
Jhankaar Beats is a 2003 Bollywood film directed by Sujoy Ghosh and released by Pritish Nandy Communications. It stars Sanjay Suri, Rahul Bose, Juhi Chawla, Shayan Munshi, Rinke Khanna and Riya Sen. In this film playback singer KK performed the song "Tu Aashiqui Hai" for which he received a...
(2003), while drummer Teji Toko from Arunachal Pradesh came second, and Sikh martial arts group Bir Khalsa came in third.
The choir performed at President Pratibha Patil
Pratibha Patil
Pratibha Devisingh Patil is the 12th President of the Republic of India and first woman to hold the office. She was sworn in as President of India on 25 July 2007, succeeding Dr. A.P.J...
’s presidential banquet at the Rashtrapati Bhavan
Rashtrapati Bhavan
The Rashtrapati Bhavan or The Official Residence of the Head of the State is the official residence of the President of India, located at Raisina hill in New Delhi, India. Until 1950 it was known as "Viceroy's House" and served as the residence of the Viceroy and Governor-General of India...
on November 8, for the US president, Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
and Michelle Obama, during their November 2010 state visit to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. They have already performed once at Rashtrapati Bhavan
Rashtrapati Bhavan
The Rashtrapati Bhavan or The Official Residence of the Head of the State is the official residence of the President of India, located at Raisina hill in New Delhi, India. Until 1950 it was known as "Viceroy's House" and served as the residence of the Viceroy and Governor-General of India...
at the invitation of then president, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam on Christmas 2002.
On October 28th and 29th 2011, they performed again with The Vienna Chamber Orchestra in Shillong in a concert called "Bollywood Leitmotifs Also..." whereby melodies from Indian Cinematic music was revamped for the choir and orchestra by their conductor Neil Nongkynrih.On October 30th 2011, they collaborated with Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy at the second Global Indian Music Awards(GIMA) which was shown on Colors channel.