SHILLONG, Dec 18: Connecting to the world in a language once spoken by Jesus Christ himself, the Shillong Chamber Choir (SCC) on Friday evening released their album called ‘Come Home Christmas’ which comprises songs sung in Middle-Eastern languages such as Farsi, Hebrew, Modern Aramaic, Ancient Aramaic and also Khasi.
The Christmas gift to the world from the choir does not end here as the group is also contemplating to make its presence felt in the world of opera. A Pnar album of the group is also likely to take the stage soon.
The album was released by none other than the Founder, Director, Conductor of the SCC, and Padma Shri-awardee, Neil Nongkynrih, at his residence in Shillong.
The album ‘Come Home Christmas’ is a multilingual Christmas carol album that consists of eight of their music piece and is also available on multiple streaming platforms. The physical edition is now available exclusively with the Taj group of hotels via their Qmin App.
“We wanted not to do the usual Christmas album. It is one of most exciting project I have done. It’s the music of Christmas that I love so much and a revelation of using Middle-Eastern languages,” said Nongkynrih
Talking about the song numbers, Nongkynrih said that in every song there is a reference to the Messiah, whether a big chunk of it or small.
He said that other than the Middle-Eastern Language there is also a small part where they have sung in Khasi.
The Founder Director also said that the SCC had really worked hard to get the album together as it involved learning the languages.
Stating that a global effort was put in to get the album together, Nongkynrih said, “The first draft could have been ready by two months but the languages took the time”.
He said that the Choir managed to find an old man from Switzerland who spoke the Ancient Armani language and he helped translate the verse while another lady from London also lent a hand in translation.
“We are not alone in this. We had to learn a lot and to be able to learn and teach is one of the biggest things we can achieve in life,” he added.
Meanwhile, one of the choir members said, “It was a welcome challenge. It was a challenge in a sense that we had never heard anyone speak Ancient Aramaic. A wonderful experience although some songs were really challenging”.
Talking about the opera project, Nongkynrih said, “It is a three-hour-long opera in Khasi and one of the biggest works I am doing. I’m hopeful of finishing it by 2021″.
Informing that the three-hour long opera will be done globally, he said expressed hope that the SCC will figure in the opera map globally.
The SCC will be hosting a virtual event on December 22 from 7 pm onwards and the tickets can be booked at www.feelitlive.co.in.
The funds collected from the event will go to ‘Save Little Hearts’, a programme initiated by Genesis Foundation to facilitate medical treatment for critically-ill underprivileged children with heart disorders.