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Moods of Christmas: Soul Sounds on their unique concert this year

24 Dec 2020

By Venessa Anthony   Christmas this year is a different affair. The streets are empty and the Christmas cheer is not as vibrant. Soul Sounds organised their annual Christmas show, despite the pandemic in hopes of lifting spirits and spreading a bit of the Christmas feeling. “Moods of Christmas”, their annual show, was streamed live on Facebook on 20 December. The actual show was performed at Cinnamon Grand, Colombo, orchestrated by Soundarie David Rodrigo and her team. Although guests could not attend the event, Cinnamon Grand provided them with the opportunity to order a special pack of goodies to snack on while they enjoyed the show.    The Morning Brunch spoke to Rodrigo about the concept behind Moods of Christmas. “‘Soul Moods of Christmas’ is Soul Sounds’ annual Christmas show happening this time for the 17th consecutive year. Every year we vary our repertoire, sometimes the same carol with a different arrangement or new songs, but it’s always something special.” The show was special indeed, with a talented lineup of performances, that took the audience’s breath away, engulfing them in a nostalgic trip back to the true meaning of Christmas.    She mentioned that she hoped to spread a positive message for the season. “This year, circumstances were such that it was most definitely a message of hope that we wanted to send out to all those watching our show. As you know, this Christmas was very different.” She added: “We also realised that many wouldn’t be visiting their homes and were alone. So we hope through our singing we were able to reach out to everyone and add some Christmas cheer this year.” [caption id="attachment_110540" align="alignright" width="343"] Soundarie David Rodrigo [/caption] She told us that they partnered with Standard Chartered for the show and also hosted a special pre-show for their clients as well. “Again, it was a message of hope that we were determined to bring out.”   Behind every successful show, there are tireless days of hard work and practice that goes into making the event a smashing success. This year though, rehearsing together in person, was an incredibly challenging feat, with the pandemic still rearing its head. Rodrigo explained the challenges of holding practice sessions during a pandemic. “Rehearsals were indeed the toughest as we did not meet with the full choir till two days prior to the show. We were very careful to take all safety precautions and I planned the rehearsals in a way where the group was split into three groups.” She further explained: “At any given rehearsal there were no more than eight to 10 in a group. The musicians had separate rehearsals with me and met the girls only the day before.  It was only on the 19th in a larger space at the Atrium did we meet together as a group.”    Moreover, she added: “It was indeed challenging as I didn’t get to hear the proper blend until the last two days but I’m grateful that I was able to go with instinct, knowing the voice texture of every individual in order to work on the three groups, keeping in mind the final show.”    She talked about what it was like working with newer singers who didn't have the opportunity to practise for as long due to the pandemic and the regulations that had to be followed. “We also had many new singers in Soul Sounds this year and I think it was the experience of the seniors together with the hard work of the juniors that worked well to stay focused and produce a good show,” she noted. Much credit goes to Rodrigo for still pulling through with a wonderful show, despite the troubles and challenges, while adhering to the government-regulated precautions. As you know, many performers absorb the crowd’s energy and applause, and use that as a confidence boost to make the show an engaging one. Rodrigo talked about the struggles of having a show only streamed online, with no audience to cheer them on. “Over and above that I think the challenge was that it was going to be a live stream event with no audience in front of us. So the mind had to be conditioned that there was not going to be an audience that would applaud and encourage us along the way,” she said, adding: “Getting just the right sound balance and singing while keeping a distance between the girls was also a worrying factor. We have never sung standing this much apart, but I think the fact that we rehearsed in smaller groups made sure every single singer knew their parts inside out, hence no one had to rely on anyone else and this made them give a confident performance.” But alas, the show must go on. In terms of setting up the stage in such a way that it would be at optimal condition on the cameras, she said: “I was also working with my usual production team on the sound stage and lights and hence it was easier, as they knew exactly what I had in mind. We worked with Podhub for the live stream and judging by how the show was received virtually, I think the entire team came together.” She gratefully thanked the hotel management and staff for being so supportive and helping them pull off the show.    I’m sure everyone watching the show at home felt the determination by all those involved to deliver a good show. Rodrigo mentioned that, that by itself helped overcome the many challenges they had along the way.    “I think the main highlight this time around was the show being live streamed and also that it was watched by so many all around the world. I think at any given time during the show we had over 600 watching us virtually. And of course now I believe the views are over 7,000.” She concluded that whilst this time around the circumstances were very different, they were able to reach out to more of an audience due to the fact that it was being live streamed.    Although the live show is over, you can still watch the show on the Soul Sounds Youtube page: Soul Sounds Official  

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