Singing in harmony

On the occassion of Christmas, Cityplus talks to George Varghese who has been running a choir called Family Harmony for the last 12 years

Fifty-one-year-old George Varghese believes in spreading joy through music. Georgy, as he is fondly called, started Family Harmony, a choir group in September 2000.
The choir consists of 40 members, who come from all walks of life. One can find dentists, lecturers, professionals, students, doctors, housewives, architects and bankers in the choir. Most joined the group to pursue their love for music. The choir consist of members who come from far flung areas such as Ulhasnagar, Thane, CBD Belapur, Powai and Panvel. At times, these members attend choir practice sessions after putting in several hours at work. The choir usually practises at The Bombay Christian Centre at Cheddanagar.
Over the years, the group has sung at various choir festivals in the city. It has also performed on a Malayalam TV channel.

Motivating factor
The choir members owe everything to Varghese, who is also the choir conductor. The members say that Georgy has been motivating them to pursue their passion for years. He, along with daughter Raji who plays the organ, has been working their magic on choir members who have had no formal training in music.

About him
Thanks to Georgy, the choir members can boast of singing classical choral as well contemporary pieces. “I started as a choir leader in my church 25 years ago. My singing career started in class six at The Marthoma Seminary in Kottayam, Kerala." Varghese always had an inclination towards Choral singing. What is even more interesting is that Varghese has never received any formal training in Choral singing. He has taught himself. Varghese can sing tenor as well as bass. His favourite carols are traditional ones like Silent Night, Holy Night, O Come Holy Faithful and Joy To The World.
Varghese says that singing should run in one's blood. He, in fact, motivates his members by doing so. He never holds a sheet of paper while directing the group. He says that constant practice will help one  overcome this shortcoming. Varghese's sole wish is to spread communal harmony through choral singing.

Notable performance
On December 18, Family Harmony sung traditional carols at the National Centre for Performing Arts. Kalyananandana Vandanam, a Malayali carol, was the highlight of the show. Family Harmony was the only choir group to perform at the event.

--Preeti Parekh