The Salvation Singers
In 1997, a group of like-minded individuals -- comprising mainly students and professionals -- got together to participate in the All-Bombay Parish Talent Hunt competition. The practice sessions, which were held in a quaint cottage in Dadar, were so much fun that the group decided to form a formal choir called, The Salvation Singers. Dylan D’Souza, the conductor of Salvation Singers says that the group is as diverse as it can get with people from varied social and religious backgrounds joining in as well as young teens and young-at-heart senior citizens. “We are however bound by a singular love of music and song.” When the Salvation Singers began their foray into Choral music, D’Souza informs that they would rely on compositions and CDs that were available in the music stores. “With the advent of online resources, we have a range of music at our disposal. There is also a chance to incorporate various instruments into the music,” he says. This has in turn led to a lot of innovations and experimentation. Initially, the Salvation Singers relied only on the piano as an accompaniment, but of late they have also included the ukulele, the guitar (bass and acoustic), saxophone and even the tabla in their music. D’Souza adds that they have also begun pushing the boundaries of Choral performance by incorporating a range of musical styles across eras. “We’ve sung sacred pieces, Classical Opera, Pop and Jazz. There are songs from as far back as the 1700s and this contemporarising of Choral music is being seen across many choirs now,” he says. Though the face of Choral music is changing and D’Souza says that it is also being embraced he feels that the essence of sacred music is to enhance the atmosphere of prayer, “As long as you keep this in mind while incorporating new soundsyou cannot go wrong.”

One of the participating choirs at the 10th Annual festival of Choral Sacred Music. Pic/Sameer Markande