For Jonas Olsson, a voice faculty at the Bangalore School of Music, a career in music meant delving deeper into music history to unearth a few gems. There absolutely had to be a show when he came across a collection by English composer Gustav Holst titled ‘Choral Hymns from the Rig Veda! Forget everything you’ve ever known about a choir performance, as this all-male ensemble from the Bangalore School of Music, aptly titled ‘The Bangalore Men’ has prepared an extraordinary performance in Western classical music.
The Bangalore Men’s choir has been in existence for one and a half years and performing together across the country has been a learning process for them. Jonas the choir’s conductor explains, “There are plenty of choirs in the country going back and forth between genres and we wanted to stick to our theme of Western classical music. We like to work with vocal techniques and music theories and history. This is an ongoing musical education and it is our responsibility to carry on the heritage.”
Jonas’s music career had has him extensively explore the western classical genre. The show that he has put together with the choir is unlike anything that has happened in the city before, “Choral hymns from the Rig Veda by Holst were inspiring and interesting as they are songs from the ancient scripts set to tune in the classical western tradition. It really is a cultural bridge from the east and west,” he says. These translations from the Sanskrit script of the Rig Veda set to tune in Western classical music makes for an eclectic musical experience.
Vimal Kurien, a Kottayam-based pianist, has collaborated with Jonas on the show after they met at workshop in Kerala and discovered a shared passion for Holst’s music. For Vimal, this is one of the toughest shows he’s ever worked for. “This is the first time for me to get used to the music and the singing.
Collaborating with Jonas and the choir has been rewarding inspite of this being one of the most difficult pieces to do. It's not just about the piece being complicated but the feel and atmosphere that you create is way different from any classical compositions I've attempted,” he says. This is a unique offering for music lovers and anyone is free to attend. There will be a performance today on August 27 at the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath.
