A Christmas tree with a difference

IT IS Christmas season and the evenings are turning musical. There was light, colour, music and peace.

Many Chennaites gathered, this time not in front of an altar but a 30 feet tall `Human Christmas tree' singing praises of Jesus.

The `Tree' was raised by the Ecumenical Fellowship of Chennai at the St. Ebba's Higher Secondary Girl's School in Mylapore on Saturday evening.

The score by members of choirs belonging to a conglomeration of Churches in and around Chennai, after a welcome by the Arch Bishop of Madras-Mylapore Rev. Dr. Arul Das James, seemed to mark the beginning of another musical Christmas eve. ``This time the celebration is very special as it is the celebration of the 2000th birthday of the Lord Jesus'' said Mr. K. V. Mathew, Secretary, Ecumenical Fellowship in Madras.

But there was something more special about the music. The lyrics and the composition were created by Mr. Jerry Amaldev.

``It is an effort to break the barriers that segregate the Christians,'' said Mr. Mathew.

The coming together of members of choirs from various churches is an attempt to put all sections of the Christian community on one platform.

The singers on the `Branches' with small microphones, were from Stella Maris, Sacred Heart Seminary, Poonamallee, Divine Word Cathedral, St.Thomas Mount and Mar Thoma Syrian Church Choir, Chetpet.

The members of the choir aged between seven and seventy were selected from the various denominations of the Church to spread the idea of togetherness.

The story behind the scenes was as interesting as the music itself. While the members of the choir were busy practising for over three weeks strenuously over Mr. Amaldev's composition at Stella Maris, `growing the tree' seemed to pose a challenge in itself.

``The Tree which was initially decided to be 10 feet tall,'' said Mr. Robert Guruswamy of the Fellowship, ``had to grow some more in order to make it attractive''. Well, it finally did.

After some generous sponsors were informed, lo and behold there stood a tree, with a member of the choir perched on its crest 30 feet high.

With five well-rehearsed scores ready to be presented by the 150 choir members, there was another factor needed to aid the performance-the weather. For this tree to stand the rain could have been an impediment. Thankfully, the weather was kind.

It was remembered in the closing prayer, however, that apart from peace and love, there should be abundant rain in this land, which has quite seemingly been deceived by a `just passed' monsoon.

By V. Prem Shanker

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