Bernadette D'Souza never misses her community choir rehearsals, held 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 with youthful sparkle. A former Mumbai choir participant, Bernadette lost her husband 26 years ago. After her loss, responsibilities and practical demands pushed her old passions aside. For years, she carried a quiet regret: she never joined a choir again.
The Silver Songbirds of Bengaluru, the city's first seniors' choir, allowed her to tick off that bucket list item. Her voice, rusty at first, returned little by little. Similarly, Maya Menon is reigniting her passion for music. A former school choir member, she regrets that decades of teaching damaged her singing voice. However, the joy of blending voices to create harmony, she says, is magical.
Community Choir to Perform at Cubbon Park Bandstand
For Nirupama Rao, 75, former diplomat and 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 choir's origin story is fascinating. 'As a diplomat, I often felt that where words reached their limits, music could still build bridges of understanding. That belief led to the founding of the South Asian Symphony Foundation, bringing young musicians together. My husband, Sudhakar Rao, and I carried that spirit into a more intimate space when we started the Silver Songbirds, inspired by Sri Lankan musician Soundarie David Rodrigo, who started a similar group in Colombo,' Rao told TOI.
The songs are curated by Rao and choir directors Juanita Jayant (Bengaluru) and Soundarie David Rodrigo (Sri Lanka), based on popular suggestions and what works for harmonization, explains Nishka Crishna. 'The directors bring decades of experience, ensuring a mix of enjoyment and challenge. Singers span high sopranos, mezzo-sopranos, altos, and deep basses.'
The community choir recently held its first free, non-ticketed concert at Sabha in Bengaluru. Upcoming plans include another free event at Cubbon Park bandstand, encouraging public sing-alongs with distributed lyrics, and a joint performance trip to Thailand with Sri Lankan collaborators, said Sandhya Mendonca, a chorister and founder of Raintree Media.
What began as a small idea has grown into a vibrant community. A major milestone was launching a YouTube channel and uploading the full concert, which quickly gained large worldwide viewership. '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 early retirement, always loved 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, vice-president at PeakAlpha Investments, notes that choristers 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.
Singing Together Bonds People and Heals Emotionally
Singers often meet old friends in this unexpected setting and find new ones. Sometimes they discover shared histories, mutual acquaintances, or neighborhoods once lived in decades apart. The choir stitches these fragments together. Attendees bring food to share, creating a Sunday afternoon picnic-like atmosphere, fostering bonding and connection.
Ammu Joseph, journalist and author, looks forward to rehearsals. 'It has been fun meeting old friends in a different setting and discovering common connections,' says the 72-year-old. In the 1970s, she sang alto at Women's Christian College in Chennai. Now, she finds herself recovering something she thought was left behind. 'It has been an enjoyable experience getting my voice back in shape, reprising my identity as an alto, and learning new songs to sing together.'
Reshma Rebecca Mittal, 66, a former housewife, lost her husband to cancer and took on family responsibilities. Looking back, she says music helped her heal emotionally. A long-time choir singer, she has been a member of St Mark's Cathedral Choir for over 15 years and sings with the Bangalore Musical Association choir. She enjoys many genres — English pop, Hindi music, and Konkani/Tulu folk 'Baila' songs — and has been singing since her school and church choir days in Mangaluru.
Talking to Silver Songbirds, you realize there are no illusions about age among them. Knees ache. Names occasionally slip away. Breath needs managing. Yet they find bliss in shared effort.
Music Transcends All Boundaries
The Silver Songbirds has built a special connection with the Soul Sounds Academy Community Choir from Sri Lanka. 'Some traveled here to join us for a concert, and a small group from Bangalore traveled to Colombo to perform. In the true spirit of friendship, we were hosted in the homes of Colombo choristers and later hosted them in ours,' recalls Bijur. During tea breaks, choristers lingered near the doorway, smiling from the final song. In that small hall in Bengaluru, with songs old and new floating into the dusk, growing older seemed lighter.
Nirupama Rao, founder, says: 'The Silver Songbirds provides a platform for the older voice, bringing together lives weathered by years, seasoned by many sunrises and sunsets. The members sing for the sheer joy of building harmony and fellowship in troubled times. The sheer enthusiasm and commitment our members bring is soul-strengthening and uplifting. In a world that often feels fractured and hurried, music helps us recover a sense of balance, listening, and shared humanity.'
Upcoming events include a performance at Cubbon Park bandstand and a performance tour to Thailand in November featuring songs in multiple languages, says Reshma Rebecca Mittal, who despite being on dialysis twice a week after a ventilator stay, feels grateful: 'Music and Silver Songbirds keep me going and give me happiness.' Anupama Bijur adds: 'It is heartwarming to hear so many voices come together. The choristers take their homework seriously, with healthy competition between altos and sopranos vying for director Soundarie David Rodrigo's approval.' Sandhya Mendonca calls the choir 'a fabulous gift that has come my way unexpectedly. I had always wanted to sing but was hesitant. Singing with a group gives me confidence.'
