The spirit of Mahatma Gandhi shall resonate in a song to be released by the Goa University Choir. The song was specifically written to honour the Vice President of India on his visit to the campus in February.
The score was composed by the visiting Research Professor for Western Music at Goa University, Maestro Santiago Lusardi Girelli. The piece MY LIFE IS MY MESSAGE, based on words of the Mahatma Gandhi put together more than 50 singers and soloists from India and Europe. Work on the piece commenced when the Goa University Choir started to work on the recording and rendition of the piece.
He said this song was one of two compositions, one inspired by Tagore and the second by Mahatma Gandhi. The composition he said seeks to be a beacon of hope in these challenging times. Originally composed for an eclectic ensemble- mixed choir, piano, strings, western and Indian Soloists, Organ and Bells- the piece explores the links between the eastern and western harmonies.
He said ¨This project is basically about offering to the world a message of beauty and hope, to remember that our lives are the main message we offer to the world. If you listen to the final version, in which we cross western classical Choral music with Hindustani, and the sincere and deep sound of the singing bowls you can definitely believe that unity and coexistence can happen, and music can pave the way.”
This project is in collaboration with international artists from Spain, Argentina, UK, Portugal and India, to give birth to this new Virtual Choir, among them the renowned Spanish violinist Leo Rossi or the singer Indio Rupesh Gawas.
He said there were challenges like building a virtual choir is a big challenge, not only for the artistic challenges but the technical issues of putting together more than 50 artists. To create this project each of the GU Choir singers (51 in total) and the soloists recorded their own voices and videos from home and then it was worked on in the studio in the university. He said “Singing from home on a Virtual Choir is a new experience for all of us – humans have been singing together for thousands of years, but usually together, face to face. Now due to this Covid19 Crisis, we are exploring new ways of creating music together, but at a distance. It gives us the rare opportunity to connect with singers and musicians from all around the world.