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When Children Inspired a Choir and Much More

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When Children Inspired a Choir and Much More grassroots A journal of the Press Institute of India promoting reportage on the human condition Rs 15 October 15, 2012 - Volume 4 Issue 10 When children inspired I N S I D E a choir and much more Neil Nongkynrih is not a social activist, nor does he represent an NGO. He does not hold flags aloft or circulate slogans for the welfare of the masses. So what does he do? He has gathered Finding a niche for herself, in the jungle 2 a bunch of children, many of them underprivileged, and, together, they have created the Shillong Chamber Choir. The choir has performed in London, Poland, Switzerland, Colombo, Milan, Bengaluru, Mumbai, New Delhi and Guwahati. What’s more significant is that Neil is the person behind grassrootsa school in Shillong that is home to many children who are not a part of the choir but who pitch in to help and participate in several other ways. Some are mentally challenged, others do not go to school or cannot go back to their families, or do not have families to go An auxiliary nurse is a back to catalyst for change 3 SHOMA A. CHATTERJI, Kolkata he Shillong Chamber Choir is three years old and spoke with a lisp. perhaps the only ‘professional’ He went to study at the Guild Hall Tchoir in India, meaning the School of Music and Trinity College, team members are not engaged in any London by the time he turned 17. He other vocation to earn a livelihood remained a concert pianist till his other than learning, composing, health began to create problems. He practising and performing as part returned to his roots in Shillong when Illness and frailty can’t of the choir. It added a feather to its the “revival’ happened. stop these indomitable cap recently when it performed at the “I turned to religion. Lots of women 4 opening of the new season of Kaun underprivileged kids from very poor Banega Crorepati, with Amitabh families arrived from neighbouring Bachchan himself singing along. Neil villages. They were not musically Nongkynrih, founder-director and talented but I wished to find out in conductor, revels in the triumph of his what way we could work together as “children” who, he insists, have given a team. I took them to my house and him, an unmarried man, the joys of took care of them just as they took care parenting. of me. Not all of them turned to music “The Little Home School in but the rest are also part of the choir Photos: Shillong Chamber Choir Shillong houses many children who family; that includes my old parents How long will their lives Children of the Shillong Chamber Choir on the sets of KBC. are not a part of the choir but they whose lives have got a new meaning be allowed to go up pitch in to help and to take part in with kids who are growing up in front of their eyes,” Neil explains. Many parents are poor or troubled, newspapers is Shillong's entry into the in smoke? 5 Today, they live together, eat so they prefer to let their children Guinness Book of World Records for whatever is available, practise music be with Neil and visit the home at staging the world's largest guitar and and learn the important lesson of intervals. “It is more like sending drum ensemble. This is what I knew sustaining their humble and innocent your child to live with an uncle. A when I visited Shillong. So making nature. The ‘school’ is involved in few in the choir come from affluent the film has been a learning and a home education and is not properly backgrounds and learn team work as life-enriching experience for me,” structured. “Nothing much happens they mix and mingle with the rest,” explains Urmi, director of the film. in the hills but the grooming in living Neil points out. The film opens with two girls together, learning and practising Mumbai-based filmmaker Urmi hanging the washing on the clothesline music makes the school a worthwhile Juvekar has made a documentary on while they are also belting out lines Where bright young lives effort in a very small way,” says Neil. the Shillong Chamber Choir founded from one of their repertory, in perfect await a helping hand 6 “But there has been misunderstanding in 2002 and the little home school. harmony and in sync without musical regarding the choir,” he cautions. The film is produced by the Public accompaniment. It is as if music is part No place they can really Neil Nongkynrih. “These children are not a result of Diplomacy Division, Ministry of of body and soul. Most of the songs call home 7 my charity but are helping me in my External Affairs, Government of India. are hymns and psalms in English. It indirect ways. They are kids who, work instead. I do not want to make “Most of us who live in mainland is a very secular and socially relevant perhaps, are mentally challenged it sound like I rescued them from the India do not know much about our story of a rich boy marrying a poor or do not go to school, or cannot streets. I insist that they have brought northeastern region. Geographically, girl. In the film, they also sing a Khasi go back to their families, or do not a new meaning to my life.” it is far off and culturally much further opera composed by Neil. Neil has have families to go back to. The Apart from the 16-member choir, away. This is a land of tribes. The few himself composed the Sohlyngem choir has 15 or 16 singers but my there are children who do a lot to culture shows and craft exhibitions Opera, which they have performed other ‘children’ are many more and support the choir and, together, they continue to reinforce this view. The only in Shillong. After Cyclone Aila, their ages range between three and all form the little home school. Not British called it Scotland of the East 70,” says the ever-smiling Neil. Neil all the children, English-speaking because of its hills and music but all (Continued on page 3) seaweed comes to began to play the piano when he was Christians, are musically gifted. that trickles down to the mainstream women’s rescue 8 grassroots October 15, 2012 2 A journal of the Press Institute of India promoting the human condition FOCUSgrassroots which she replied: “In case you have forgotten, I'm a woman!” A moment's silence followed and then he Finding a niche for herself… sheepishly said, “Oh, haan. I forgot.” Singh laughed off the incident but she felt good that people had accepted her as a professional and that her gender wasn’t an issue anymore. in the jungle After all these years, life in the jungle still fascinates Singh. She is also an avid animal lover. “I love dogs - simply for their unconditional Ratna Singh is quite at home in the jungle, where she says her soul belongs. As one of a kind love and loyalty. In the wild, it’s the – a trained professional woman naturalist – she has many things going for her, but perhaps tiger. There is nothing more regal,” she says. One of her most memorable more than anything else it is the role model that she is for many girls that speaks volumes about experiences was driving actor Amitabh Bachchan when he came for her outstanding abilities. Among other things, she has built close bonds with local villagers the NDTV Tigerthon. “It was quite an and erased the gap between genders. Overall, it makes for quite a remarkable story experience. There were cameramen perched all over the vehicle. I had to drive very carefully. He was very TERESA REHMAN, Kanha, (Madhya Pradesh) interested, took a lot of photos. And, t’s not unusual for naturalist Ratna approached her and said: “Will you English diction are some of the other Singh to have a rat snake slithering meet my daughters? I want them to requirements of the job. Today, Iover the tiled roof of her cottage see what education can do for them Singh is the first-ever head naturalist in Kanha National Park in Madhya even in a jungle.” Singh would at Taj Safaris, a joint venture with Pradesh, as she calmly sips her cup regularly meet with Ramdin’s girls Andbeyond, a well-known Africa- of tea sitting on the steps. She is truly and, inspired by them, other people based company. For Singh, it was a profession that came “naturally” to her. “I love wildlife. I love the wilderness. I grew up with a lot of animals around me. It’s as if my soul belongs here. It’s an easier, simpler life. But earlier if you wanted to be in the jungle, you had to be a man. A trained, professional woman guide was unheard of,” she says. During the initial years, some distant relatives did try to dissuade her. “It was rather hard. I Photos: Ratna Singh/WFS was criticised for wearing pants and living among men, doing a man's job, getting sweaty, being unladylike. After a while, I got quite fed up and made police complaints. I decided to stay put. It’s my sixth year and over Like all naturalists, Singh also dabbles in photography. "Animals the years more women can be seen and wilderness look beautiful irrespective of the angle from which around. So I guess, it’s the hardest for they are shot," she says.
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