Bernadette D’Souza never misses her community choir rehearsals, which are scheduled twice a month. At 80, these gatherings give her something to look forward to. “Singing with others fills my heart with warmth, laughter, and belonging. Each rehearsal lifts my spirits, and every song seems like a celebration of life and memories,” she says, speaking with the sparkle of someone much younger. Bernadette, who was a part of various choirs while living in Mumbai, lost her husband 26 years ago. After her loss, responsibilities, deadlines, and practical demands of life quietly pushed her old passions aside. For years she had carried a small regret without naming it too often: she never managed to join a choir again. The Silver Songbirds of Bengaluru, the city’s first seniors’ choir, has allowed her to tick off one thing from her bucket list. Her voice, rusty at first, returned little by little, rehearsal by rehearsal. Like Bernadette, Maya Menon is also reigniting her passion for music. Menon, who was a part of her school choir, rues that teaching for decades ruined her singing voice. However, the joy of being one voice amongst many, of listening and blending with each other to create harmony, she says, is a magical feeling. Community Choir To Perform At Cubbon Park BandstandFor Nirupama Rao, 75, former diplomat and the Indian ambassador to the US, China and Sri Lanka, music has been more than a personal refuge. “It has been a quiet extension of diplomacy itself,” she says. The story of how the choir came into being is quite fascinating. “As a diplomat and ambassador, I often felt that where words reached their limits, music could still build bridges of understanding and empathy. That belief led to the founding of the South Asian Symphony Foundation, an effort to bring young musicians from across our region together in harmony, quite literally. My husband, Sudhakar Rao, (former chief secretary of Karnataka) and I carried that spirit into a more intimate space when we started the Silver Songbirds of Bengaluru, inspired by the wonderful work of the Sri Lankan musician, Soundarie David Rodrigo, who had started a similar group in Colombo,” Rao told TOI. The songs are curated by Rao and the choir directors Juanita Jayant in Bengaluru and Soundarie David Rodrigo, who visits from Sri Lanka, based on popular suggestions from the group as well as what would work well for members to sing and harmonise, explains Nishka Crishna, a chorister. “The choir directors bring decades of musical and performance experience and are well placed to ensure the right mix of enjoyment and challenge for the group. Singers span all ranges of voices from high sopranos, mezzo-sopranos, altos and deep, low basses.” The community choir recently held its first free, non-ticketed concert at Sabha in Bengaluru. Upcoming plans include another free event at the Cubbon Park bandstand, encouraging public sing-alongs by distributing lyrics, and a joint performance trip to Thailand with Sri Lankan collaborators, said Sandhya Mendonca, a chorister who is also the founder and chief editor of Raintree Media. What began as a small idea has now grown into a vibrant community. A major milestone was launching a YouTube channel and uploading the full concert, which quickly received large viewership worldwide. “Membership is open to people above 50. We welcome all who seek the joy of music,” says Mendonca, adding the choir currently has around 30 women and 10 men. Jaidev Raja, who took an early retirement, always loved listening to music, especially instrumental music, blues and rock, but never sang in a choir before. “It feels surreal to be in a choir. It’s more than just music,” says the 71-year-old. Anupama Bijur, a chorister who works as vice-president (marketing) at PeakAlpha Investments notes that choristers at The Silver Songbirds of Bengaluru are united by “a shared passion for music and a deeper purpose: to create an inclusive space for seniors. “Our repertoire has something for everyone — from a Malayalam lullaby and a lively Baila to a Kannada film song and a Broadway favourite.” Between rehearsals, members speak of the next meeting, the next song, the next chance to laugh over missed notes and remembered lyrics. Singing Together Bonds People And Heals EmotionallySingers often meet old friends in this unexpected setting and find new ones too. Sometimes they discover shared histories, mutual acquaintances, or neighbourhoods once lived in decades apart. The choir stitches these fragments together. Attendees bring food to share, creating a Sunday afternoon picnic-like atmosphere. The shared meals foster bonding, friendship, and a strong sense of connection among participants. Ammu Joseph, journalist and author, looks forward to the rehearsals. “It has been fun meeting old friends and acquaintances in a different setting and also getting to know others and even discovering common connections,” says the 72-year-old. In the 1970s, she sang alto with pride at Women’s Christian College in Chennai. Now, standing among the others, Ammu finds herself recovering something she thought had been left behind. “It has been an enjoyable experience being part of this community choir, getting my voice back in shape, reprising my identity as an alto and learning new songs to sing together,” she says. Reshma Rebecca Mittal, 66, was a housewife, and after her husband died of cancer, she took on family responsibilities. Looking back, she says music helped her heal emotionally. A long-time choir singer and music lover, Mittal has been a member of the St Mark’s Cathedral Choir for over 15 years and sings with the Bangalore Musical Association choir under Dr Ashley William Joseph, with performances in other churches as well. She enjoys many genres — English pop, Hindi music (especially Asha Bhosle numbers), and Konkani/Tulu folk “Baila” songs — and has been singing since her school and church choir days in Mangaluru. While talking to Silver Songbirds, you realise there are no illusions about age among them. Knees ache. Names occasionally slip away. Breath needs managing. Yet they find a lot of bliss in a shared effort. Music Transcends All BoundariesThe Silver Songbirds of Bengaluru has built a special connection with the Soul Sounds Academy Community Choir from Sri Lanka. “Some of them travelled here to join us for a concert, and a small group from the Bangalore Silver Songbirds Community Choir travelled to Colombo to perform. In the true spirit of friendship, we were hosted in the homes of the Colombo choristers and later we had the pleasure of hosting them in our homes too,” recalls Bijur. During the tea break, choristers lingered near the doorway, many still smiling from the final song. And in that small hall in Bengaluru, with songs old and new floating into the dusk, growing older did seem lighter. VOICE BOX “The Silver Songbirds of Bengaluru provides a platform for the older voice, bringing together lives that are weathered by the years, seasoned by many sunrises and sunsets. The members sing for the sheer joy of building a sense of harmony and fellowship in what are troubled and turbulent times.
Nirupama Rao
The sheer enthusiasm and commitment our members bring to the project is soul-strengthening and so uplifting. In a world that often feels fractured and hurried, music helps us recover a sense of balance, of listening, and of shared humanity.”Nirupama Rao, FOUNDER, THE SILVER SONGBIRDS OF BENGALURU AND FORMER INDIAN FOREIGN SECRETARY AND AMBASSADOR TO THE US, CHINA AND SRI LANKA “Our upcoming events include a performance planned at the bandstand in Cubbon Park, and a performance tour to Thailand in November featuring songs in multiple languages.
Reshma Rebecca Mitta
I was on a ventilator for five days recently due to blood pressure complications, now have kidney damage and am on dialysis twice a week. Despite this, I feel grateful for a second chance. Music and Silver Songbirds keep me going and give me happiness. Reshma Rebecca Mittal, CHORISTER “It is truly heartwarming to hear so many different voices come together in unison.
Anupama Bijur
The choristers take their homework seriously, and there’s even some healthy competition between the altos and sopranos, all vying for our choir director Soundarie David Rodrigo’s approval. Anupama Bijur, CHORISTER “The Silver Songbirds choir is a fabulous gift that has come my way unexpectedly.
Sandhya Mendonca (right) with the choir director Soundarie David Rodrigo
I had always wanted to sing but was not hesitant. Singing with a group gives me the confidence. Sandhya Mendonca, CHORISTER
