Peace concert for spreading joy

Writers, social workers and theatre persons are coming to spread some joy next year with a peace concert aimed at encouraging people to sing.
The three year old group called "Sing for Joy" comprising a mostly group of people who are not professional singers. "The members vary in age, profession and interests. From young to senior citizen, from professor to software professional, flying planes to working with the under-privileged, but they are united in their love for music," says Giti Chandra, the group conductor.
Scheduled for October this year, the concert will focus on Rabindranath Tagore.
Chandra says, "No Peace concert, according to us, is possible without some of Gandhi's favorite songs - you should watch out for our Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram. We have included western classical music as well as more popular music as well. It's a wonderful collection."

The small group of highly-trained singers usually band together to sing on special occasions be it Christmas or New Year.
"We don't really see our Christmas singing as a cause so much as a way of giving and sharing joy through music with people who don't have access to concerts. But our Peace concert in October next year is definitely a cause and one dear to our hearts," says Chandra.

The music for the Peace Concert ranges from traditional Indian songs to hymns to Rabindra Sangeet, to western classical and pop. These singers, who perform in choirs as well as small specialized chamber groups, decided a few years ago that they wanted to give the joy of music to people, who don't always get it rather than holding public performances for people who are spoilt for choice.

Earlier in the year, they performed at Children's Cancer Ward of Army Research and Referral Hospital in the joy of singing. "It was amazing. We sang as part of the Prerna Programme of the Hospital and they were beautifully organised and welcoming. The audience consisted of dignitaries from the Forces, of course, but lots of employees of the hospital and children from the Cancer Ward and other school kids," says Giti.
The group doesn't get any remuneration for performing and conducts the concert solely for the purpose of bolstering people's belief in peace. "I think that everyone wants peace but no one seriously expects it. So we want to use the Peace concert to give people a vision of peace - how various thinkers and artists envision it and express it - in an effort to bolster a belief that peace is a real possibility, not a pipe dream.