Work on this innovative album began nearly four years ago and despite the challenges of bringing together different musicians, it turned out better than expected, reckons Dominic who has four albums under his belt.

Stanley Carvalho

It is December and carols, an essential part of the Christmas tradition, rent the air around churches, homes, in shopping malls, almost everywhere.

Traditional carols are most popular and every year new collections hit music stores. To kick off this Christmas season, seasoned Bangalore musicians Dominic D’Cruz and his wife Jerusha, along with an ensemble of gifted instrumentalists have put together an album of Christmas carols infusing Indian and global elements.

The bansuri and smooth strings weave into the familiar strains of ‘Silent Night’, sargams decorate the tranquil flow of ‘Away in a Manager’, spirited percussion finds company in ‘God Rest ye Merry Gentlemen’ and more.

The album ‘Led by the Light’ comprising nine traditional carols and a captivating medley is “an essay with global musical flavours,” declares Dominic.

And global it is, as instruments such as the Udu, Khanjira, Darbuka, Morchang blend with the piano, violin, guitar, drums and the bansuri, lending a unique enrichment for the carols.

“The arrangements encompass energetic rhythms, a splash of festive chants, percussion et al, bringing on new shades and hues in the embellishments,” notes Dominic.

The album begins with the ever popular and peaceful carol ‘Away in a Manger’ by Jerusha who renders six other much-loved carols with her dulcet voice – What Child is this, In the bleak mid-winter, O Come Emmanuel, O Little Town of Bethlehem, Silent Night and God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.

Dominic breaks the continuance with an all-time favourite ‘O Come All Ye Faithful’ before Jerusha’s penultimate rendition the slow and solemn ‘O Holy Night’. As a finale, the couple offer a medley of Christmas songs including ‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing’, The First Noel, Gloria in Excelsis Deo and others.

Work on this innovative album began nearly four years ago and despite the challenges of bringing together different musicians, it turned out better than expected, reckons Dominic who has four albums under his belt and more to come. The album is being streamed on major platforms such as Spotify, Apple, Amazon, Jiosaavn and Tidal. A limited number of CDs are available.

I wish a few peppy carols (such as Silver Bells, Jingle Bells, Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, Deck the Halls) were part of this otherwise well-produced album.

(Stanley Carvalho is Bengalurubased independent journalist)