Report by Viju Mangalore for Daijiworld News Network - Mangalore
Pics by Satish Ira and Viju
Mangalore, Sep 11: If in Mangalore music has to be enjoyed in its purest form, it's got to be the choir and orchestra conducted by the Balmatta Musical Association (BMA). Sunday, September 10 was a memorable day for BMA as it celebrated its 80 years of service to God through music.
A choral and orchestral concert was the befitting celebration to mark this occasion. Under the baton of ace musician Denzil Karkada, the choir of BMA offered three hours of melodious music in the St Sebastian Platinum Jubilee Auditorium Bendur.
Dr Jacob Chacko, Associate professor and unit chief, Department of Orthopedics, Fr Muller Hospital and Medical College was the chief guest at the programme.
The programme was a rare delight to music buffs as it had both the oldies and contemporary music performances.
The orchestra of around 60 singers and with nearly 30 musicians enthralled the audience in the jam-packed auditorium.
The concert began with an orchestra ‘King’s March’ of Sydney H Cambrell followed by a choir which sang ‘Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring’ and ‘Ever thy name of God’ of J S Bach.
The men’s choir delivered a soul-rending hymn by Eugene Clark ‘Sitting at the Feet of Jesus’.
Ash Grove, the traditional Welsh melody was a soothing piece played by Strings.
The acapella by young musicians was a foot-tapping ‘That they may all be one’ and ‘Everybody said.’
Several medleys’s were sung and played at the concert which made the audience glued to their chairs. ‘The Buonaparte’s March’, ‘Calvary’, ‘Love led him to Calvary’, ‘O Lord you have done great things’, ‘He is the one’ and a grand orchestra ‘I will sing unto the lord’ were the highlights of the evening.
Charles Furtado, master of ceremonies
The instrumental trio, an entertainer medley by Oscar Weltha, Jerome and Keith Palanna was the most exciting part of the show.
To the voice of Jerome, old time hits were brought on stage at the concert, which finally ended with a congregational singing of ‘Great is thy faithfulness.’
Lending a special touch to the lively concert was Charles Furtado who compered the event.
On the occasion, music director of BMA Denzil Karkada was honoured for his 43 years of service to the association as its director.
Read about the Balmatta musicians joining Poona performers on stage: