Musicians in Mumbai come together to add glam to usual Christmas harmonies

It might not snow in Mumbai but kids are already beginning to hum to Jingle Bells As the season of Advent is observed early orders for Christmas cakes are being placed recipes are shared across window sills and local music bands are holding rehearsals for the upcoming season For Niloufer Rohira and Darren Das producers and concept designers of the show That Christmas Spirit and So Much More 20 this began back in August itself The weekend show at St Andrews Auditorium will kickstart the festivities of the season with a story filled with music and melodiesSuneeta Rao and George Joseph at a rehearsalThe idea emerged at the end of last yearrsquos show itself Rohira explains ldquoWe wanted to offer more than just Christmas carols for the audience Hence the term lsquoand so much morersquordquoThis feeling is evoked through the ensemble of performers brought together anew for every edition The weekend will see performances by vocalists Suneeta Rao Das Keshia B Subhash Kamath Amber Smith and Bianca Rosemeyer with Russell Fernandes Sylvester Chaves and Wilburn DrsquoCosta bringing up the orchestration alongside Enrico Rodrigues George Joseph and Rajeev Raja Though Raja was present through the rehearsals a commitment means that he would have to perform through videoA moment from the 2022 concertThe first edition of the production in 2022 was an attempt to shake off the COVID19 hangover She says ldquoWe wanted to get people to come out have a good time and recall the joy of Christmas Thatrsquos how the idea was born The response encouraged us to go furtherrdquoDas remarks ldquoLast year we had Gary Lawyer Siddharth Meghani and Giselle Pinto among others This time it is a new ensemble It is important to give the audience something different whether it is in the arrangement or the choice of carols Except for Feliz Navidad It is an uptempo anthem and then again it wonrsquot be Christmas without Feliz NavidadrdquoNiloufer Rohira and Darren DasThe concert is not all music Each song is part of a narrative that stitches the twohour long performance together he says ldquoThere has to be a story a musical trivia that connects them and engages the audience We try to involve every artiste their keys voice textures and styles to make the best of itrdquo he says It is also one of the reasons why the setlist expands beyond carols Das notes that all the songs carry the Christmas spirit within them but they are performed with individuality ldquoFor instance Tirthankar Poddar AKA 2Blue brings his rock vocals to the traditional caroling while Rao brings her distinctive vocal style to the mixrdquo notes RohiraAnother aspect of the performance is the community experience the duo admits ldquoChristmas is about people There are many supporters who simply turn up for our rehearsals to encourage us It has become a bond between the community and the musiciansrdquo Rohira points out These visits also bring a touch of the Christmas spirit to the rehearsals Das says ldquoMany of them turn up with festive food that they have prepared A plate of biryani some ice cream or a homemade cake It doesnrsquot get more Christmasey than thatrdquo Hard to argue with that oneOn December 3 730 pmAt St Andrews Auditorium St Dominic Road Bandra WestLog on to inbookmyshowcomCost Rs 708 onwardsThe choral trailThe Paranjoti Academy Chorus led by Firdause Wadia will perform Christmas music from around the world across five different venues in town Drop in for some merry musicOn December 2 8 pmAt St Anthonyrsquos Church Vakola Santacruz EastOn December 3 730 pmAt St Annersquos Church Nesbit Road MazgaonOn December 6 8 pmAt St Peterrsquos Church Hill Road Bandra WestOn December 9 730 pmAt St John the Baptist Church Talao Pali Thane WestOn December 10 7 pmAt St Thomasrsquo Cathedral Fort