Uniting Voices Choir Tours India

The American choral group Uniting Voices, led by president Josephine Lee, recently concluded its tour of India, performing in unique venues and engaging in meaningful cultural exchange with Indian artistes.

The tour included a show at the Willingdon Club in Mumbai, where the choir performed classical choral works, contemporary music, and pieces highlighting the cultural diversity of its singers.

In Panchgani, Maharashtra, the choir held a residency at the Asia Plateau, working closely with Indian artistes such as Shruti Veena Vishwanath, Leslie Nazareth, Vedant Bharadwaj, and Sairaj Methari. The week-long residency culminated in a performance for civic leaders, community members, and students from Panchgani, Pune, and Mumbai.

The choir also visited Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, where they sang in front of Tibetan students and had the opportunity to meet the Dalai Lama. The experience was particularly profound, as they concluded the tour with performances at two Tibetan schools.

Uniting Voices, formerly known as the Chicago Children's Choir, is a non-profit organisation that works with diverse youth from all walks of life, using music as a powerful tool for expression and access. The choir regularly tours internationally and consists of young people from a wide range of cultural backgrounds, religions, and socio-economic experiences.

According to Lee, the choir serves nearly 4,000 young people aged between six and 18 years each year. The tour was intentionally designed with a spiritual and cultural dimension, allowing the singers to engage with India's deep traditions while sharing the ethos of Uniting Voices.

The tour was made possible through the support of Mridu Shekhar, a parent and grandparent of alumni in the program, who wanted to create an experience for the singers that went beyond tourism.

Uniting Voices has a history of seven decades, founded in 1956 during the Civil Rights movement with the clear purpose of bringing young people from different backgrounds together through music to create a more harmonious world.

The choir's mission remains unchanged, and its recent tour of India is a testament to its commitment to promoting cultural exchange and understanding through music.

The tour has not only provided a unique experience for the singers but has also helped to promote cross-cultural understanding and exchange between the United States and India.

In conclusion, the Uniting Voices choir's tour of India has been a resounding success, promoting cultural exchange and understanding through the universal language of music.

The experience has been profound for the singers, and the choir's mission to create a more harmonious world through music remains unchanged.

As the choir continues to tour and perform internationally, it is clear that its message of unity and cultural exchange will resonate with audiences around the world.