When Kalyani Nair introduced her piece, “Nam Tham” and we performed it as an 18-member group, I saw the score come to life as a sound, as music and as an experience I found myself wanting more. As we rehearsed and trained regularly, I started finding the intricate harmonies and the compositions themselves to be more like plot points to an overarching story, than musical notes to be read and vocalised. I realised, the real magic happened in the performance of it, as we were tasked to come together and weave it into the air around us. Each performance felt like a unique, dynamic experience, with subtle differences in every rendition, intentional or otherwise. I felt the magic pop up in different moments; in a different chord, in a different pause, giving each performance a subtly new flavour.

I would say singing in a choir feels like a dance. At times taking control and at times giving way, deciding precisely when to do each and being graceful at it. This balance, I believe, is the essence of any polyphonic music performance, and being a singer in a choir allows me to experience this interplay. I get the chance to be an instrument that can give context and set another up to shine through.

With over 40 trained singers responding to each other and experiencing this, the sound created isn’t just a piece of music composed, it’s a performance lived by the performers. We invite you to witness this magic firsthand at our live performance on August 3rd at the Egmore Museum Theatre. Meticulously crafted and specially curated to have you experience this Ulā with us.

Tickets here: https://www.theticket9.com/event/ula

[Live Shows Chennai, Ulaa, The Indian Choral Ensemble, TICE Live, Indian Choirs]