Mangaluru: More than 200 artistes of Mangalurean heritage came together at the Fr Muller Convention Centre Saturday for ‘Symphony of hope’, turning the venue into a meeting point of music, dance and theatre in support of children battling paediatric cancer.The charity concert drew a sold-out audience of around 1,600 people, with tickets selling out a week before the event. Musicians and artistes travelled from across India and overseas to be part of the production, conceived as a celebration of Mangaluru’s artistic talent and a show of support for children and families facing the challenges of cancer treatment.
A symphony orchestra shared the stage with a polyphonic choir, solo vocalists, opera, ballet, bharatanatyam, theatre and percussion, lending the evening the scale of a full-fledged multidisciplinary production. The performance brought together 53 choir members, 29 soloists, 33 junior vocalists, 31 musicians, 14 drummers, 12 comperes and 55 dancers, supported by an organising team of around 100 people.
Behind the spectacle were months of preparation. Many musicians spent six months rehearsing for the concert.The repertoire moved seamlessly between Western popular culture, contemporary music and Indian influences. Songs associated with Hollywood, Broadway and Disney featured prominently, including Adele’s ‘Skyfall’ and music from ‘The Lion King’, ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’, ‘Colors of the Wind’ and ‘A Whole New World’. Yanni’s ‘Aria’, ‘Storm’, ‘Nostalgia’ and ‘Carol’s Theme’ added an orchestral and instrumental dimension to the programme.Indian music found equal space in the set list, with Arijit Singh’s Sukoon and the Tamil numbers ‘Vazhithunaiye’ and ‘Kangal Irandal’. The programme also featured ‘Hypernova’ before building towards its closing number, Michael Jackson’s ‘Heal the World’.The scale of the production marked a significant step up for live productions in Mangaluru. Creative technical director Klinton Mascarenhas led the technical and visual execution, while the programme was directed by Ramona Mathias with choreography by Remona Pereira.Among the featured performers was Vivienne Pocha, whose appearance added an international dimension to an event rooted in Mangalurean talent.Yet the music was always anchored by a larger purpose. At the heart of ‘Symphony of hope’ was an effort to raise support for children battling paediatric cancer and to provide tangible assistance to families carrying the financial and emotional burden of treatment.“Symphony of hope was born from a vision to celebrate the extraordinary wealth of talent that Mangaluru holds, and to bring it together on a single stage in a celebration of artistry, passion, and purpose,” said event director Munita Veigas Rao.Music director Lionel D’Mello said symphonic music is “one of the finest and most powerful forms of music to experience.”The evening culminated with artistes from across the programme returning to the stage for ‘Heal the world’, uniting the orchestra, choir, dancers and performers in a finale that reflected the spirit behind the concert.
