I will sing with the Spirit and with the understanding also - 1 Corinthians 14:15
The Cathedral has had a choir ever since the founding of the church in 1718. When the church was elevated to a Cathedral following the creation of the Diocese of Mumbai in 1837 a choir school was founded for the express purpose of supplying singing boys for the divine services. Till about the late 1970s most of the choristers came from the Cathedral & John Connon School. Today the choir is a motley group of working professionals, housewives and students — keen amateurs bound by a common love for church music.
The choir has had the good fortune of being led by stalwarts in the world of church music. Edgar Faulkner, Miller, Charles Velu, George Daniel, Conrad Matthew, Usha Simeon (Fraser), Joyson, Sabina Punoose, Indira Mahadevan and Teesha Cherian have been some of the organists and choir directors associated with the Cathedral choir. The choir was a member of the Royal School of Church Music (RSCM). On a visit to the Cathedral, Lionel Dakers (The Director of the RSCM) made an observation that the Cathedral choir “sang with the kind of tone associated with the best English Cathedral choirs.” Quite a compliment!
Our choir at present is led by Mr. Ravi Joshua who adorns the dual role
of choir master and organist. Ravi knew from his childhood days itself that his calling was
at the organ. He took over the responsibility
as a church organist while he was a chorister here and still a teenager.
Church choir under his leadership has been enriching every church service and
continues to touch and comfort several lives.
The choir is a mixed voiced choir — with both girls and boys singing in the soprano section. Apart from the weekly liturgy at the Holy Eucharist, the choir sings at the festival services and through the liturgical year. The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at Christmastide and The Cross of Christ at Passiontide are much anticipated musical features of the Cathedral. Recently an Advent Carol Service, From Darkness to Light has provided the space for the choir to sing choral music for the Advent Season.
There have been at least three pipe organs associated with the Cathedral, none of which exist today. The services are accompanied by a state-of-the-art digital classical organ, ‘Content D6800’ (three manuals with a floating ‘solo’ division and pedals) from the Netherlands. For many years a Hammond and Reginald organ provided the musical support at the services. The Cathedral has a Chappell grand piano which has been recently overhauled.
At the moment the strength of the choir is 28. New voices are always welcome. If you are musically inclined and can make a weekly commitment, please attend choir practices to experience choral singing. Children are particularly encouraged to consider becoming choristers. Those interested can approach the Presbyter-In-Charge.
