Sunset Serenade – A Musical Evening on November 1, 2008 November 1, 2008

The Choir of the Madras Musical association awes founded in 1893 with the then Governor of madras as it’s first Patron and President and signor Aloisio as it’s first conductor. The Governor continues to be our patron. Eminent Musicians like Padmashree Handel Manuael, Violin Chackravarthy Dr. L. Subramanyam and the great Victor Paranjothy have passed through our portals. The MMA choir has regularly been performing in India and abroad the notable overseas performances being for the International church music festival in Coventry England in 1998 and 2000 and in Chester England in 2006. The choir also performed for “Sidney 2000- the Olympic games” in 2000 at the Sydney Opera house. In 2009 the choir is preparing to perform in Rome for the International church music festival there and for a papal audience.
The philanthropic arm of the association under the banner MMA Community welfare fund has endeavoured to raise funds for the leprosy mission trust India for the World vision India’s tsunami victims fund and for HBA’s child development project. This year we have decided to put our talents together to raise funds for Little sisters of the poor- Home for the aged in Harrington road chetpet.

Founded in 1839 in France by Jeanne Jugan, the Little sisters of the poor welcome into their Home for the aged the destitute elderly of all religions who are in need of a Home. They endeavour to alleviate their sufferings and help them to feel happy and comfortable in the closing years of their life
The home for the aged in Chennai was founded in 1934, since then the Little sisters have cared for numberless poor irrespective of caste creed religion or language
Their premises located in Harrington Road, Chetpet, Chennai, is in imminent danger of collapsing during the ensuing monsoon. This is a dire need – to construct two new buildings, one for men and the other for women. The MMDA has only now sanctioned the construction of the buildings. The budget for the buildings is Rs 9 crores. This figure could go up if construction work is not taken up right away.
It is in this regard that the Little Sisters of the Poor have approached the Madras Musical Association to help raise funds for their project.
The MMA has agreed to help in reconstruction of their buildings by presenting a musical gala entitled Sunset serenade.
Sunset serenade will be a musical gala presented by the 60-strong choir of the Madras Musical Association. This will include both vocal and instrumental music from Broadway, Classical, Pop, Jazz, Gospel and folk music interspersed with Choreography and expert sound and light display. The entire gate collection of the concert will be given to Little Sisters of the Poor – Home for the Aged.
The concert will be held on Saturday November 1, 2008, at Sir Mutha Venkata Subba Rao Concert hall in Lady Andal School in Harrington Road, Chetpet, which is a state of the art theatre with adequate parking facilities.
As it has been with recent MMA concerts, the first half of the Programme will be devoted to classical composers beginning with the Baroque period to modern classical composers like Rutter
The second half promises to be a sound and light spectacle with different dance styles and choreography. The concert will be directed by Paul Augustine and Samuel Grubb with Edwin Roy and the jazz band Blue Note in accompaniment. The choreography will be handed by Andrea Jacob. In the second half, An entire set of short love songs in the famous waltz timing by Brahms will be sung and danced .This will be followed by “Can you feel the love tonight” from the Lion King composed by Elton John and “ Music of the night “from Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody “is a piece of music not usually attempted as a choral work. The MMA choir is not only performing it but it also supports a solo dance by Andrea
Duke Ellington’s “ It don’t mean a thing with the entire cast on stage dancing to the duet of Tanvi Shah and Sangita Santosham will be the perfect closure to an attempt at a truly collage of music.
Donor passes for the concert priced at 150rs, 300rs, and 500rs are available online at On Line ticketing is available at www.indianstage.in