Reviewing a concert that took place five years ago is the equivalent of performing several backflips. Let’s say that the concert concerned the singing of Christmas carols, the swan song of a famous choir fading into the sunset, then the review enters more intriguing territory. Not just the notes but also the emotions need to be captured.
The 2019 Christmas Carol Concert at St. Mary’s Church in Fort St. George was the last gasp performance of its famous choir. It probably wasn’t officially announced, nothing was written in black and white, but the singers saw the handwriting on the wall as clearly as if each letter was the size of a football.
The choir’s chief architect and conductor, the John Milnes Chorale, Jabez Janraj, died last year. This was going to be a concert full of emotions from the beginning. That quaint little church, which was quite old, was full of wooden roofs. The pews were packed with believers. The choir had to bring their beloved ‘Uncle Jabez’ to life in every song they sang. The most memorable performance belonged to Jingle Bells, expertly arranged by Jabez.
During a performance by the John Milnes Chorale. , Photo Courtesy: The Hindu Archives
In addition to the songs that were performed, the audience that evening also heard one song that was not. The John Mills Chorale had its own anthem. An old song that Jabez discovered by chance and brought to life by recreating it in his “atelier”. This was “the bells in the church steeple ringing”. It became the choir’s signature piece, and Jabez’s wife Cheryl Janagraj recalls how the choir’s voices blended perfectly with the rhythm, giving St. Mary’s Church something irresistibly haunting.
“When we finally found that harmony, it wasn’t just about the music,” Cheryl recalls with a smile. It was the joy of creating something together, of sharing that perfect moment.” Jabez had worked on this old composition that he had literally picked up out of nowhere, but when the choir completed it the cup was full of joy .
Preparations for the annual Christmas concert at St Mary’s Church may be going at a slow pace but the fires will be stoked regularly. Multi-part singing amplified by an orchestra will automatically mean variety. Diversity usually considers different entities taken from multiple addresses. The choir clearly demonstrated a talent that was not limited to the church. The John Mills Chorale was famously associated with the orchestra led by Jerry Fernandez. Marshalling resources from diverse sources requires passion and patience, as Jabez did.
John Collison, a pianist who was assistant conductor around Jabez, and now plays the pipe organ at St Mary’s Church, Fort St George, says: “The interpretation, intonation and balance of the John Mills choir is unparalleled.” Note on present tense – John Collison comments that the choir should regroup “to continue the legacy of Jabez Janraj”, and he believes this can happen.
months of preparation
For those who were a part of it, preparation for the annual Christmas carol service was a time of anticipation, a season in itself.
Cheryl remembers the excitement that filled the air long before December. The John Milnes Chorale had a “practice pad” in an upper room of a house in Thacker Street, Purasawalkam, immersed in the overall excitement.
“Rehearsals often started in June, but Christmas-Christmas was always the highlight,” he said. “The way the music came together, the way we sang in the room, there was something about it that made everything possible.”
Large-scale choral concerts are clearly about teamwork and alignment, but to leave leadership, organizational skills and human resource management out of the picture is to ignore huge pieces in the puzzle. Jabez had these skills, which were imparted to him in his early years. Jabez’s musical journey started on the right note and gained momentum as it progressed. It was started by A. of Thanjavur. Charles and J. of Madras. Dawson. He then became a singing student under the tuition and guidance of the Rev. John Milnes, a renowned tenor, organist and conductor. She also learned signing from Marina Kokali, gold medalist of the Hamburg Academy and prima donna of the Athens Opera.
Jabez’s training was further enriched by speech lessons under British Council speech expert Colin Mortimer. This was as strong a foundation as one could find on which to erect the edifice of choral music.
Working in the Secretariat, Jabez was instrumental in starting the Tamil Nadu Government Employees Group. In 1968, he founded a modest-sized choir, a male voice choir. It eventually changed its character, also welcomed female voices, grew larger, and in 1993 became known as the John Mills Chorale.
Apart from conducting Christmas carol concerts at St. Mary’s Church in Fort St. George, Jabez turned his attention to conducting the Egmore Wesley Church Choir and helping shape and conduct the choirs of St. James’s Church in Ayanavaram and the Thanjavur Male Voice Choir. Attracted.
Cheryl remembers the years when Jabez suffered from ill health and remembers the last concerts with a deep sense of pride.
She comments, “Even when he struggled with his health, he never let it hinder him from sharing his love of music.” “He showed us that even in the most difficult moments, beauty can be found in the smallest things.”
published – December 27, 2024 01:30 PM IST