![\"Remember](\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-131854120,imgsize-5651075,width-400,height-225,resizemode-72\/pop-up-choirs-are-reclaiming-that-nostalgia-of-school-choir-practice.jpg\" "\\"Pop-up")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nFor many Delhiites, the last time they sang in a choir was during a school assembly, annual day performance, or inter-school competition. The lyrics may have faded, but the memory of dozens of voices coming together in harmony remains. Ahead of World Music Day (June 21), we look at how, years later, that feeling is finding a new audience through pop-up choirs where strangers meet, sing, and make connections.\u2018It feels like a throwback to school choir days\u2019<\/span>Nostalgia is often what draws people in, says Medha Sahi, founder of The Strangers\u2019 Choir, a travelling pop-up choir that hosts pan-India sessions, including NCR. \u201cA lot of people are drawn to it because of memories they had as children. But I don\u2019t think nostalgia is the reason they stay. In the first hour, I group people into teams, and they bond quickly as they compete in a fun way.\u201dUnlike traditional choirs that require auditions or musical training, pop-up choirs are designed to be accessible. Participants are taught songs and harmonies during the session and find themselves singing as a group within a few hours. Medha, who is hosting another session in Delhi next month at the Akshara Theatre, says, \u201cThe biggest takeaway is realising that you are capable of more than you think you are. Singing is in itself highly cathartic and health-positive; the community aspect makes it even more powerful.\u201dFor many participants, however, the journey begins with a familiar feeling. \u201cIt was a throwback to childhood and singing in the school choir \u2013 feeling that joy of being part of a bigger collective,\u201d says Praapti Jayaswal, a scientist and music enthusiast who has attended three such sessions and learnt songs like Viva\u2019s Humne Geet Sunaye, Ghanan Ghanan, and Dancing Queen. \u201cWhat sticks post the session is the joy and happiness of creating something wonderful with people you don\u2019t know,\u201d she adds. <\/p>\n Medha Sahi in a session of The Strangers\u2019 Choir, where strangers come together to learn one song as a part of a choir (Pic:@thestrangerschoir)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n \u2018<\/span>Community singing<\/span>, drumming has become a necessity to combat challenges of modern life\u2019<\/span>Community music gatherings are becoming places where people can build meaningful social connections. Harit Bhasin, who leads the Delhi Drum Circle, says, \u201cWhen we started Delhi Drum Circle, life wasn\u2019t as stressful. Today, with rising loneliness, mental health challenges, and increasing stress levels, community drumming and singing have become a necessity to combat some of the challenges of modern life.\u201dTalking about an upcoming Irish pop-up choir in Delhi, choir conductor Nise Meruno says, \u201c(These gatherings are) a fun way to celebrate as strangers gather and sing songs by Irish artistes.\u201d Arjun Sagar Gupta, founder of The Piano Man Jazz Club, hosting the Irish Pop-Up Choir, says, \u201cCasual pop- up choirs became more popular in the early 2010s. It is a wonderful way to bring the stage to the audience and let everyone feel the joy of presenting music together\u201d <\/p>\n The appeal, participants say, lies in the fact that there is no pressure to perform. The focus is on participation, not perfection (Pics: @thestrangerschoir)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The power of singing together<\/span>While pop-up choirs may be a recent phenomenon, the tradition of choral singing has long existed in the city. According to Nadezda Balyan, art director and conductor of the Delhi Chamber Choir, many people’s first exposure to choir singing happens during childhood. “Many such groups are emerging now because they offer opportunities for self-expression and a chance to meet like-minded people,” she says, adding, “Choral singing develops a sense of community, teaches people how to work in a team and helps them understand the mood of others.\u201d According to Balyan, \u201cMusic helps you shake off negative thoughts and lifts your spirits. Singing in a choir allows you to enjoy music, relieve stress, make friends, and simply feel young again.” Sukanya Banerjee, founder of Upstairs with Us, which hosts classical music baithaks, says, \u201cEven if one of us individually isn’t perfectly in tune, when we sing together the room takes on a voice of its own. Music is for everybody. You don’t have to do something because you’re good at it. You do it because it’s a way of expressing yourself. When people sing together as a choir, it takes on a voice of its own. While I haven’t seen any evolved version of this in classical music, I hope to develop something along these lines. For now, what we have started doing is learning the beats, learning to predict the beat and clap together. It is a great way to learn music communally.” <\/p>\n ‘Very exciting to see strangers come together united by a common interest in wanting to learn music’ (Pic: @upstairswithus) <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Singing in a room full of strangers<\/span>Aarushi Sharma, who attended a session in Gurgaon, says, \u201cI signed up alone and didn\u2019t know anyone there. But you immediately feel (like a) part of a larger group… By the end of it, you\u2019re just filled with joy, hope, and a sense of connection.\u201d Artist and singer-songwriter Dhruv Visvanath recalls attending a session at Akshara Theatre last year on his birthday: \u201cThere were people from all walks of life who had simply shown up to sing. What I didn\u2019t expect was the sense of camaraderie and togetherness. By the end, a room full of strangers was singing together in one big harmonic group.\u201d<\/div>\n![\"Medha](\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/msid-131854740\/medha-sahi-in-a-session-of-the-strangers-choir-where-strangers-come-together-to-learn-one-song-as-a-part-of-a-choir-picthestrangerschoir.jpg\" "\\"Medha")
<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/msid-131855519\/the-appeal-participants-say-lies-in-the-fact-that-there-is-no-pressure-to-perform-the-focus-is-on-participation-not-perfection-pics-thestrangerschoir.jpg\" "\\"The")
<\/p>\n![\"'Very](\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/msid-131855711\/very-exciting-to-see-strangers-come-together-united-by-a-common-interest-in-wanting-to-learn-music-pic-upstairswithus.jpg\" "\\"'Very")
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