The Bangalore Chamber Choir
Founder, Director - Pauline Wajri
The Bangalore Chamber Choir, was started by Pauline Warjri in January 2005.
The choir was formed to give young people an opportunity to pursue excellence
not only in music but in lifestyle. Their repertoire is varied- from classical
to jazz and popular music.
The hallmarks of this choir are punctuality, honesty and above all a passion
for God. They celebrate life with all its gifts and struggles. Their music
comes from the heart.
Pauline Warjri
Pauline Warjri is a free lance musician from Shillong, Meghalaya, India.
Her versatility ranges from classical, twentieth century music, jazz, rock
and popular contemporary genres. She has written for solo piano, voice,
choirs, jazz band and other instruments.
She has collaborated with musicians like jazz saxophonist, Uwe Steinmetz
(Germany), winner of the European Jazz festival at Getxoa, Spain in 2001
(Best Soloist). Together they recorded the duo album “Roots” in Berlin (Gravity
Records) during a tour of several German cities in the year 2001.
She has worked with Hungarian clarinettist, Andras Jo (Hungary) and American
soprano Rebecca Bartelt (USA). She was invited to perform at Caux, Switzerland
at the Arts a La Carte of a ‘Renewal Arts’ conference by the group
“Initiatives of Change” in the year 2002. She was invited back in the year
2004 as the performer and a speaker at the plenary sessions for the theme
“Art Can Transform”. In 2006 she was invited again to that year’s conference,
this time to give a week-long choral and vocal workshop from 22 July to 29
July 2006, as well as to perform at the Arts a La Carte.
She has toured Poland, England and Switzerland in the year 2004, with the
Shillong Boys Choir from Meghalaya and with her brother, pianist Neil Nongkynrih.
They collaborated with one of the UK’s finest string quartets - The Fitzwilliam
Quartet at their London concert. She also toured Sri Lanka with the Shillong
Chamber Choir in August 2006.
She has also worked with English Pianist John Paul Gandy (UK) and brother
Neil to produce Neil’s premiere of the first Indian Opera from the Khasi
Hills “Ka Sohlyngngem” in August 2005. This was also performed recently in
Bombay on 18th March 2006 along with the Mondrian Ensemble (Germany) and
Uwe Steinmetz (Germany).
Pauline now lives in Bangalore with her husband Barkos Warjri, and two
sons Keith (22yrs) and Kenan (20yrs), having taught music at the Kodaikanal
International School (1999-2004). She teaches piano and voice besides doing
musically creative workshops for all ages. She is also the local Piano examiner
for the Bangalore School of Music. Pauline has a passion and heart for local
talent and is very keen to bring them up to world standards.
Bangalore Chamber Choir
Concert
on 24th November 2006
Return to The Bill Wurtzel Program, 7th November ,
2006, Bangalore
Here is a little more info about
the concert on
Friday the 24th November, 2006
The Bangalore Chamber Choir
Directed by Pauline Warjri
The Bangalore Chamber Choir was started in Jan 2006. I am a musician with
a passion for God, for music and for spreading the gift of music. There is
a lot of talent in Bangalore that needs to be nurtured and nudged in the right
direction. I feel that young people if given the opportunity to learn how
to read music and be given vocal training will be as good as any of their
counterparts in any part of the world. The vision that I have is not only
about music for music sake but a pursuit of excellence that is reflected not
only in the songs that the choir sings but in their in lifestyle as well.
Hence the choir is where I stress very strongly on being faithful in seemingly
very small things like punctuality, commitment, love for God and dedication
to the craft. Hopefully this transfers itself into other areas of life as
well. Here is where after a hard day's work at school or college and work,
young people unwind , bond with each other and learn life skills that help
them cope with the stresses and strains of daily living. What we do at the
Bangalore Chamber Choir is purely voluntary and because of this, I am seeing
a few lives change and mature in understanding what commitment is all about.
The standards we seek are high yet flexible enough to consider exams, illnesses
and other commitments. We seek to use our music to bless as many people as
we can. We sing at churches, concert halls, schools, hospitals. Fund raising
for various charities –and I don't mean it in a clichéd way is- another
way of paying back to society what we owe as responsible people. We have sung
at the Kodaikanal International School,at the Madras Christian College School,
Chennai, Christian Medical College, Vellore and have performed
in a few churches in Bangalore.
I cannot do this alone. I have survived thus far only with the vision of
the bigger picture in mind and a sense of my calling as a responsible artist.
It costs a lot to run a choir in terms of time and money. In a world that
is getting increasingly commercial and self-serving especially in the realm
of art and music it is my heart's cry that we preserve love, purity and simplicity.
I need help from others who love music and feel responsibly towards life.
The choir consists of mostly students and a few working people all from
various regional backgrounds. Their repertoire ranges from Bach to Handel
to Gershwin to Clapton!
CONCERT ON FRIDAY 24 NOV
The details of this concert are had below. 12 members of the choir are travelling
to Shillong to do a fund raising concert to build a hospital in Meghalaya.
The Friday concert is to raise the air fare one way for 8 members. Please
respond generously and help the music going! Thank you and God Bless you.
Pauline Warjri.
Bangalore Chamber
Choir
Directed by Pauline Warjri
Concert at the
ITI Officer's Club,
Doorvaninagar, Near K.R.Puram
Date: 24.11.2006
Time: 7:00 Pm
Directions: Old madras road, first right after the cable stayed bridge,
iti colony
Contact: 9845214400, 9448689535, 9880920167
Musical evening with an exciting repertoire ranging from Bach to Handel
to Gershwin to Clapton!!!,
Join with the Bangalore chamber choir and help raise funds to build
a hospital through free will offering
Come and help the 65000 inhabitants living in the most backward area of
the state of meghalaya
You could be saving the life of a mother or a child by providing them with
the most basic health care
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