What happens when 150 individuals from 31 schools and colleges and 22 different professions get together and sing? Inevitably, an energising fusion of music and voices — both eastern and western — and a rich blend of melody, harmony and creativity. This unique choir includes members with professional training in various forms of music, from institutes like the Royal School of Music (London), Trinity College of Music (London), and the Akhil Bharatiya Gandharv Mahavidyalaya (Delhi), to simple music enthusiasts like a 10-year-old schoolgirl. Artistes Unlimited (AU), as this talented group of musicians is called, sing for both pleasure and purpose. "Our vision is to create and maintain a sound platform for young artistes in Delhi and to foster a creative spirit among young people," says Annette Philip, 23, the brain behind the idea that came into being in July 2003.

A former student of Lady Shri Ram College, Annette and a few other musically-inclined friends felt there was too much rivalry in the Delhi music circuit and not enough avenues to tap all the talent available. "Music is not about competition, so we got the idea of having a common platform where music spells cooperation, she says emphatically. For Gaurav Ahluwalia, a founder member, music has always been his first love. "I used to play for a band called ‘Friday the 13^th’, but when I heard about Artistes Unlimited, I went for it. There is so much talent here. We create a sound of our own, we have our own voice; and I want to be a part of that voice," he enthuses. In September 2003, the then 60-strong choir presented its first concert — two hours of celebrating music in its myriad forms. Three months later, with an 80-strong choir, the group electrified Delhi with a sizzling performance, encompassing traditional music and classical arrangements with jazz and personal compositions.

The choir believes in experimenting with different genres and styles of music. "Our repertoire includes extensive work with Indian and western classical music, Sufi, jazz, gospel, funk, soul, rhythm and blues, progressive light rock and Broadway numbers, besides self compositions incorporating mouth and body percussion," explains Annette.

For Sherry Mathews, 14, AU is the best thing that ever happened to him. "In school, we don’t do these kinds of songs. Our practices are real tough and often go on till late at night, but I feel like I’m a professional", he says.

Others like Andrew Hoffland, 42, feel privileged to be a part of this unique music group. "Each of the singers is a soloist in her or his own right and the part I enjoy most is interacting with children and young adults with so much talent. It really keeps me alive," confesses Hoffland, a teacher at Mount St. Mary’s School. Being the oldest of the group does not inhibit him in any way. "There is no age limit to the artistes of AU. I’m just guarding the top spot."

The diversity within the group is also its strength. While some have trained for the opera, others are trained in the Hindustani classical style. Still others, like Prithwish Dev, used to play for a rock band.

"Since we’re covering so many different genres, we’re not catering to a particular kind of audience," he says.

The fact that many of its members are also professional musicians makes them that much more serious about the time they allot for their music and the kind of music they want to create in that time, says Ritika Ganguly, who has performed with the Delhi Music Theatre. "At the start of each week, we set ourselves targets which each of us is very eager to meet," she states. At the end of the day, however, it is also about having loads of fun, she adds.

And how does the choir move into the future? "We hope to make AU a national platform for artistes, not only in music but also in dance, theatre, puppetry and maybe even poetry," discloses Philip. Towards this end, members of the choir are involved in writing a musical to be performed by 2005; the aim is to branch out into different areas of the performing arts. Another laudable and challenging task the choir has taken up is to initiate a dialogue about the differences of religion and culture amongst people through the medium of music. Says Philip: "We would like to start a collaborative effort between young musicians in India and Pakistan called Music for Peace." WFS

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