The Shillong Chamber Choir was founded in
Shillong
Shillong () is a hill station and the capital of Meghalaya, a state in northeastern India, which means "The Abode of Clouds". It is the headquarters of the East Khasi Hills district. Shillong is the 330th most populous city in India with a ...
,
Meghalaya
Meghalaya (, or , meaning "abode of clouds"; from Sanskrit , "cloud" + , "abode") is a state in northeastern India. Meghalaya was formed on 21 January 1972 by carving out two districts from the state of Assam: (a) the United Khasi Hills and J ...
, in 2001. It received fame after winning the reality talent show
India's Got Talent
India's Got Talent is a televised Indian Hindi language talent show series and is part of the '' Got Talent franchise''. The program is produced and distributed by Fremantle. The show aired on Colors TV till season 8; since season 9 the show is ...
(Season 2) in October 2010 on Colours TV, part of the Got Talent (India) franchise, where it performed western chorals and choral-style revamps of
Bollywood
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...
classics.
The choir consists of 11 singers and occasionally a 30-piece orchestra. They are based in Shillong, Meghalaya, which sits in the
North-Eastern part of India. The choir participated in the 6th World Choir Games held at Shaoxing China (
Shanghai
Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flowin ...
) in July 2010 and was awarded Gold diplomas in all three categories: Musica Sacra, Gospel, and Popular. Besides their musical pursuits, the Shillong Chamber Choir has also been involved in philanthropic work, supporting causes such as education and healthcare in their community.
History
The foundation
The Shillong Chamber Choir was founded in 2001 by (L) Neil Nongkynrih, a composer, conductor, and pianist from Shillong, India. Nongkynrih's vision was to create a choir that combined Indian and Western classical music, reflecting his own experiences as a musician and his passion for exploring new sounds and styles. Growing up in a family of musicians, Nongkynrih began playing the piano at a young age and studied music at the Delhi School of Music and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. After returning to India, he became involved in the music scene in Shillong.
Nongkynrih saw an opportunity to bring Indian and Western classical music together and founded the Shillong Chamber Choir with like-minded musicians. The choir's name reflects its roots in Shillong and its focus on chamber music and more intimate performances.
2001-2010: The Early Years
The Choir made their debut performance as a group at the Pinewood Hotel in
Shillong
Shillong () is a hill station and the capital of Meghalaya, a state in northeastern India, which means "The Abode of Clouds". It is the headquarters of the East Khasi Hills district. Shillong is the 330th most populous city in India with a ...
on January 14 and 15, 2001, and were mentored by Nongkynrih as their maestro. Since then, the choir has been awarded all three Gold diplomas in the categories Musica Sacra, Gospel, and Popular, which they competed in at the 6th World Choir Games held at Shaoxing, China in July 2010, winning against 400 choir groups from over 82 countries. They were selected to represent India by the
Indian Council for Cultural Relations
The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), is an autonomous organisation of the Government of India, involved in India's global cultural relations, through cultural exchange with other countries and their people. It was founded on 9 Apri ...
. Their visit was sponsored by
The Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region. The Choir mainly gained attention for their choral-style revamps of old Bollywood classics while competing on the reality television talent show India’s Got Talent in its second season back in 2010 and went on to win it. In December 2010, the Choir won the
CNN-IBN
CNN-News18 (originally CNN-IBN) is an Indian English-language news television channel founded by Raghav Bahl based in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is currently co-owned by Network18 Group and Warner Bros. Discovery. CNN provides internat ...
Indian of the Year – Special Achievement Award. Since their victory on India's Got Talent, the choir has performed across several parts of India and toured many countries as diplomatic representatives for events across the globe. On 8 November 2010, they performed for then
President of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...
and his wife
Michelle Obama at
Indian President Pratibha Patil’s presidential banquet in the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
2011-2019: The growth years
From 2011 to 2019, the Shillong Chamber Choir continued to gain prominence and recognition for their unique blend of Indian and Western music styles. They collaborated with renowned musicians and performed at various events, establishing their reputation.
In March 2013, the choir performed at a fundraiser organized by actor Rahul Bose’s NGO, ''The Foundation'', in
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' fin ...
. They collaborated with the tabla maestro,
Ustad Zakir Hussain
Ustad Zakir Hussain (born 9 March 1951) is an Indian tabla player, composer, percussionist, music producer and film actor. He is the eldest son of tabla player Alla Rakha.
He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1988, and the Padma Bhushan in 2002, ...
, for the performance. They showcased an hour-long recital that featured opera, Bollywood favorites, a tabla-piano medley, and a solo by the Ustad. In 2014, they opened for the grand premiere of
Kaun Banega Crorepati 8 at
Surat,
Gujarat
Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...
and also opened for the music launch of
Shah Rukh Khan’s film ‘Happy New Year’. The same year, they collaborated with the
State Election Commission and created a music video entitled ''Just One'' to promote voting. They again collaborated with Bachchan for a fundraiser in
Jodhpur
Jodhpur (; ) is the second-largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan and officially the second metropolitan city of the state. It was formerly the seat of the princely state of Jodhpur State. Jodhpur was historically the capital of the ...
in 2015 and finally in 2016 for the Global Citizen India Concert in Mumbai which also saw acts like
Jay Z and
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer Will Champion and creative director Phil Harvey. They met at University ...
.
April 2017 saw the choir perform their melodies at the opening ceremony of
IPL
The Indian Premier League (IPL), also known as TATA IPL for sponsorship reasons, is a men's T20 franchise cricket league of India. It is annually contested by ten teams based out of seven Indian cities and three Indian states. The leagu ...
in
Kolkata
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...
. The choir has participated in some of the most notable national events, including the
Republic Day
Republic Day is the name of a holiday in several countries to commemorate the day when they became republics.
List
January 1 January in Slovak Republic
The day of creation of Slovak republic. A national holiday since 1993. Officially cal ...
in Shillong in 2018. Another noted event was the telecast of their rendition of ''Vande Mataram- I’m So Proud To Be An Indian'' during the attempted satellite landing of
Chandrayaan 2, which aired live on
National Geographic on 6 September 2019.
2020-Present: Philanthropy for Covid19, The Death of Uncle Neil
The Shillong Chamber Choir has been involved in philanthropic efforts, particularly during the times of the
Covid-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
. During the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, they participated in the ''I for Indi'' fundraiser concert, which aimed to provide support to those affected by the pandemic in India. The concert, which was live-streamed, featured various artists and performers like
Jack Black,
Will Smith
Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968), also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor and rapper. He began his acting career starring as a fictionalized version of himself on the NBC sitcom '' The Fresh ...
and
Jonas Brothers coming together to raise funds for Covid-19 relief efforts, including the choir's rendition of popular songs. Their contribution to the concert was appreciated and helped raise funds for the cause.
Apart from participating in the I for India concert, the choir also extended direct support to their local community in Shillong, Meghalaya, by honouring the frontline workers who were tirelessly working to combat the pandemic. They paid tribute to the efforts of doctors, nurses, and other frontline workers, through their music and performances, recognizing their service.
In January 2022, the Shillong Chamber choir faced a significant loss with the sudden demise of their founder, ''Uncle Neil Nongkynrih'', at 51. Uncle Neil was a renowned pianist who led the choir to success. In the same year, they also had the honour of attending the funeral cortege of
Queen Elizabeth II, which was borne in the historic
church of Westminster Abbey on 19 September 2022. On 19 October 2022, the choir performed at Interpol's 90th General Assembly, representing India globally to international ambassadors. Additionally, the choir's participation in the
Coke Studio Bharat in 2023 was also noted.
In addition to their musical pursuits, the Shillong Chamber choir has been involved in philanthropic work, supporting causes such as education and healthcare in their community. The choir has worked with multiple organizations to promote education and cultural awareness and has also worked to raise funds through benefit concerts and other events.
Musical style and influences
The Shillong Chamber Choir is known for its innovative approach to music, blending
Western classical music
Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" ...
with Indian melodies and rhythms. Their repertoire includes various musical genres, including choral arrangements of popular
Bollywood
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...
songs and classical and contemporary Western pieces. They have also experimented with fusion music, collaborating with artists from different musical traditions to create unique performances. Their repertoire is a variation of different varieties and genres from jazz to Western Classical to Bollywood and more. As a choir, they have sung in over 15 languages, including
Khasi,
French,
Hindi
Hindi ( Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been ...
.
Themes
The themes explored by the Shillong Chamber Choir's music range from love and relationships to social issues and spirituality. Their music often reflects the
cultural diversity of India, exploring themes related to different regions and traditions. The choir draws their inspiration from different genres of music worldwide, including rock bands like
Queen
Queen or QUEEN may refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom
** List of queens regnant
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
.
Members
The choir has a choral frame comprising the Sopranos, Altos, Tenors, and Bass.
The Sopranos are the female lead singer Ibarisha Lyngdoh, Patricia Lyngdoh, and Jessica Lyngdoh. The Altos comprise Donna Marthong, Rishila Jamir, Keviseno Terhuja, and Dorea Rangad. The Tenors are Riewbankit Lyndem, Sandon Lyndem, and William Richmond, the frontman. The Bass singer is Banlam Lyndem.
References
External links
Shillong Chamber Choir, websiteShillong Chamber Choir, performances
{{Authority control
Indian choirs
Shillong
Culture of Meghalaya
Participants in Indian reality television series
Got Talent winners
Musical groups established in 2001
2001 establishments in Meghalaya