Hyderabad: The Christmas season brought to the city its first 100-piece orchestra since the Nizam era, as a collaboration by city group The Tabernacles, which was formed in 1967, is seeking to revive Western classical traditions.
Seventy-seven-year-old George Cornelius, one of the group’s founding members, said the group came about with the collaboration of like-minded musicians during a tea break at the historic Alpha Café in Secunderabad, when a group of in-training musicians were waiting for their teacher.
On the eve of starting their performances, the 100-piece orchestra, for which The Tabernacles is collaborating with Chennai-based Genesis Chamber Orchestra’s 20-member team, held a final rehearsal, with musicians donning T-shirts with the slogan ‘Peace on earth’.
Ahead of the curtain-raiser, Cornelius shared the anecdote about the group’s formation.
“We were having half cup sharing chai, when this idea came to us. For the first day, we got the invite from the Wesley Church in Secunderabad. I remember that previously, around 20 of us had performed under a tamarind tree on this church’s premises,” he said.
While another founder Kenneth V. Gibson, who also doubled up as a conductor, is no more, his son Zubin Gibson took over the reins in 2018.
Zubin Gibson said, “This is a historic, event. The era of Nizams from 1724 to 1948 not only witnessed the significant imprint of Western classical music on the cultural canvas of Hyderabad, but also showcased their support for its growth. The Chowmahalla Palace, the Nizam's official residence, had a dedicated music hall called the Khilwat Mubarak, which hosted many classical music concerts. Renowned Western classical musicians, including luminaries like Yehudi Menuhin and Zubin Mehta, found a stage here.”
He said: “After those concerts, this is the first time that a 100-piece orchestra is being performed for the first time in the city.”
Davidson Stanly Jones, of Genesis Chamber Orchestra, said, “The orchestra has close to 60 musicians who play violin, viola, cello, bass, piano, woodwind instruments, guitars and percussion instruments. The youngest member is just five years old and the oldest is 75. All of us are music hobbyists, be it a student or working in other industries.”
Frank Daniel Savio of The Tabernacles said, “I joined this team in 2011. For the past eight weeks, we have been practicing for this event. As classical music is fading, our group intends to bring back the classical music into life and the performances are a small attempt at it.”
