Join one of India’s first choral groups in celebrating their golden jubilee with a walk down memory lane as they prepare for a blockbuster Christmas show
The choir rehearses at St Joseph’s Convent, Bandra, for their upcoming show in December. PICS/SATEJ SHINDE
Choral ensemble and cultural academy The Stop Gaps will be commemorating its 50th anniversary this year at its annual A Festival of Festive Music, a Christmas special, titled The Book of Golden Memories. To celebrate this feat, we met with the choir group for a look back at the past 50 years. It was story time as founder and conductor Alfred J D’Souza sat down with us, surrounded by a few of the oldest-serving members, including Sister Marjorie Caldeira and her brother Lucas Caldeira who, along with their two sisters, were among the first few members when the choral group was founded in 1972 in Chennai’s quiet locality of Little Mount.
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A previous performance by the group. Pics Courtesy/The Stop Gaps archive
Lucas, who was a part of The Stop Gaps family till 1982, fondly shares memories of caroling through Little Mount as a teen, bundled into a tempo to travel between vicinities, and raise money for different charities every year. “With hampers to distribute with us in the tempo, it was quite a ride,” he adds.
An observation that Sister Caldeira shares seems to be a common notion reflected in every member of the group; she says, “The feeling of togetherness and camaraderie was strong.” And it still is, 50 years later, with part of the group seated around a table in St Joseph’s Convent, Bandra, where rehearsals for their upcoming concert take place. This writer was a fly on the wall when she dropped by. The chitchat quickly transformed the session into one that was laced with gossip, laughter, and an overall recounting of shared memories where everyone corrected forgotten names and dates.
The Stop Gaps with the late Pope John Paul II at the Vatican in 2002
In the group was Celina Lobo, who sang with the choir in 1991 and then since 2016, Mehmood Curmally since 2014, Zubin Tatna who has been with The Stop Gaps for about 22 years, Sudha Shenoy, who was so mesmerised by the choir’s performance in September 2013 that she immediately joined them and was ready to perform by October 2013, and Jennifer D’Souza, the oldest-serving member who joined in 1989.
Esther Fernandes, the youngest member
Jean Turner, who has been with the group for over 25 years highlights that after 50 years, till today, the group sings with a purpose, making it clear that some traditions, when held dearly, never die. Back in 1972, when D’Souza was a 19-year-old in college, he decided to raise money for those affected by floods of the Adyar River. Every year since, the choir’s main purpose has been to raise funds for orphanages and homes for the elderly through performances.
In 1984, D’Souza aimed to raise money for the English-Speaking Union of the Commonwealth in the city and decided to use the Bandra Zonals stage for the mission; this was the year when The Stop-Gaps Cultural Academy was formed. The next year, the annual festival at NCPA came about with a view to turn performances into a celebration, instead of a competition. From there, the group has had plenty of national and international trips, ‘bridging the world with song’ as their motto reads. This includes the Festival International de Chant Choral de Nancy, France, in 1995 and 2002; the closing celebrations of Israel’s 50th anniversary of Independence in 1998 where they performed at concerts in Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Nazareth; and the third, fourth and seventh Choir Olympics held in Germany and China, when they brought home many silver and bronze medals.
Sister Marjorie and Lucas Caldeira, who were among the first members in 1972
One trip took the group to the Vatican to sing before the late Pope John Paul II in 2002. Here, they performed religious songs, and sang an early birthday wish for the Pope, before moving on to Konkani and Hindi hits. “We sang Chura liya for the Pope,” D’Souza recalls, with a smile. That’s another thing about The Stop Gaps; it’s a multi-genre choral ensemble singing not just religious songs but also show tunes, Bollywood, Broadway, electronic, jazz, pop and other genres.
Alfred J D’Souza
“Ask Alfie about the name of the group, too,” a group member chimes in, which prompts D’Souza to detail another snippet from history for us. “The choir brought people together from every community, religion and age group. It puts a stop to many gaps in that sense,”
he reveals.
When we ask this multi-generational and multi-religious family about their experience of being in The Stop Gaps whether over 30 years or three years, we get as endearing responses as ‘the choir made me who I am today’, gaining confidence, learning the art of singing, making friends at the age of 50, and collecting memories and laughter. The youngest member, 17-year-old Esther Fernandes, who joined in June this year, shares, “I can sum my experience in one line: we’re a family.”
As we continue speaking to a few members, rehearsals have commenced in the next room. With voices raising and cascading in unison, we’re privy to a magical snippet of what’s to come in December at A Festival of Festive Music, which will also include choir groups from across India.
ON December 10, 7 pm;
December 11, 6.30 pm
AT Tata Theatre, NCPA, Nariman Point.
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