Capital City Minstrels to enthrall Delhiites

Delhi’s favourite choral group Capital City Minstrel (CCM) is all set to perform at the Hungarian International Centre (Sept 27) and at the India Habitat Centre (Sept 28) for a show aptly titled, Love and Peace season 2012, to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi’s teachings. Entry to the event is free and on first come basis.
Maxwell Pereira, president, CCM points out that Mahatma Gandhi had once said, We are all leaves of the same tree.“What better way than to express this through songs? This concert is CCM’s tribute to the 20th century’s most recognised and effective messenger of peace through ahimsa (non-violence) and love,” says Pereira.
As a tribute to Gandhi, his favourite bhajans, Vaishnav Janato and Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram will be featured alongside the popular 19th century British hymn, Abide with me, which was a personal favourite of the Mahatma.
This concert also juxtaposes Michael Jackson’s popular 1991 song, Heal the World, against a 2009 American patriotic canata by Randy Vader and Jay Rouse called, Living in the Homeland.
The repertoire will further include songs of love and peace from different time periods and genres ranging from 19th century British hymns to popular peace anthems of the 20th century.
Other notable songs to feature are: Elvis Presley’s Can’t help falling in love with you (1961), Louis Armstrong’s What a wonderful world (1968) and Simon and Garfunkel’s Bridge over troubled water (1970).
Another exciting feature of the concert will be CCM’s collaboration with the internationally acclaimed Stopgaps Ensemble from Mumbai. The latter will also be performing at the India International Centre on Saturday, Sept 29, 2012.
While the Love and Peace concert will be led by German conductor Carolin Remy, artistes sponsored by the Hungarian Centre will also participate in the concert. Nise Meruno from Nagaland will be accompanying on the piano along with budding percussionist, Arko.
With a rich legacy of having performed under the baton of famous conductors like Zohra Shaw, Nauzer Darwallah, Giti Chandra, Hur Chul Young, Diane Prichett, Len Noronha, Sharmila Livingston, Gabriela Boda Rechner, Nadja Balyan and Fiona Hedger-Gorlay, CCM is Delhi’s best known choir in the western classical music section.