The Silver Songbirds… listen to them sing
- Apr 25
- 5 min read
Updated: Apr 27
'The Silver Songbirds of Bengaluru,' a senior citizens' choir led by a top-ranking retired diplomat, is crossing borders and boundaries, and building bridges, creating solidarity with melody and songs.
By Ammu Joseph / Bengaluru/Sapan News
Tank aage badhe ke peeche hate,Kokh dharti ki baanjh hoti haiFateh ka jashn ho ke haar ka soug,Zindagi maiyaton pe roti hai…
(Whether tanks advance or retreat,The womb of the earth is left barren;Be it the celebration of victory or the mourning of defeat,Life weeps over the dead).
Isliye ae shareef insanon,jang taltee rahe to behtar haiaap aur ham sabhi ke aangan mein,shama jalti rahe to behtar hai…
(Therefore, O noble souls,It is better if war is averted;It is better if, in the courtyardsOf us all — you and me — the lamp of peace continues to burn).)
– Sahir Ludhianvi, Aye Shareef Insano (1965)
“Ishq, Siyasat aur Awam (Love, Politics, People): Why Peace Matters), a national convention marking the 30th anniversary of the Pakistan India Peoples Forum for Peace and Democracy, held in New Delhi last weekend, paid homage to the lives and work of the well-known poets Sahir Ludhianvi, Faiz Ahmad Faiz, and Avtar Singh Sandhu (Pash), who consistently wrote about the importance of peace, equality and justice.
Meanwhile, an event in Bengaluru on 12 April brought together senior citizens from Sri Lanka and India in a different but possibly related way: Through music. The Silver Songbirds of Bengaluru is an initiative of the South Asian Symphony Foundation launched in 2018 by retired Indian diplomat, Nirupama Menon Rao, herself a noted singer, and her retired bureaucrat husband, Sudhakar Rao. For the choir Ms. Rao was inspired by the Soul Sounds Academy Community Choir, started a little over a year ago in Colombo by the Sri Lankan musician, Soundarie David Rodrigo, who she has known for many years.
A Facebook post by Ms. Rao in early January 2026, announcing the formation of the new choir and calling for interested seniors (defined as 50 and above!) to sign up, generated much interest in Bangalore.
The first two exciting and inspiring sessions in mid-January were led by Ms. Rodrigo, who made a special trip across the waters for the purpose. Subsequently, Juanita Jayant, a musician based in the city, conducted the sessions, with Ms. Rodrigo flying in whenever possible. Silver Songbirds of Bengaluru was soon adopted as the name of the choir.
Voices rising
In March, a few Songbird members flew to Colombo to join the Soul Sounds Academy Community Choir for “One Heart One Voice,” the 25th anniversary concert of the Lanka Alzheimer’s Foundation. As a local newspaper report put it, the event “celebrated not only music, but the profound and scientifically recognised connection between music and the human memory,” while also serving as a reminder that “age does not diminish musical ability. Instead, it enriches it.”
When the Silver Songbirds had their first public performance in April, eight members of the Colombo-based choir travelled to Bangalore to participate in the event, bearing gifts of special snacks ahead of the Sri Lankan New Year.
It was interesting to share information about New Year celebrations in several parts of India – Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Bengal, and Assam – that coincide with the celebrations of both Sinhala and Tamil communities in the island nation. Even more remarkable was the fact that many of the traditional treats from Sri Lanka were familiar to many local choir members because similar sweets are made in parts of southern India, like Kerala.
The traditional “Aluth Avurudda” (Sinhala New Year) platters of goodies brought by the Lankan choristers reminded Songbird Sandhya Mendonca of the “bagina” (gift platter) offered on auspicious days like “Ugadi,” new year in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. It was but natural that conversations then turned to the many historical connections between Sri Lanka and India.
The presence of the Sri Lankan singers “made this not just a local gathering, but a shared Southasian moment,” Nirupama Menon Rao said after the show. “Music does that so effortlessly. It crosses borders without asking for permission.”
The initiative shows that music, especially in later life, “is not just about performance – it is about belonging, well-being, and rediscovering one’s voice,” commented Soundarie Rodrigo. “When joined by fellow community singers from elsewhere, it becomes a powerful testament to how collaborative music-making can nurture friendships, confidence, and a deeper sense of shared humanity.”
“My music teacher always said: ‘Music is a great leveller’ and I have found this to be so true,” said conductor and pianist Juanita Jayant. "Music is a universal language that creates dreams and unites people.” She recalled Hans Christian Anderson's words: “Where words fail, music speaks" and those of Pablo Casals: "Perhaps it is music that will save the world.”
It’s fun singing: Build a community
“What started out as a chance to have fun singing in a community choir turned out to be something much more meaningful through the connections with our sister choir in Bengaluru,” said Cyrene Siriwardhana, from Colombo. “What an amazing opportunity it has been to share the joy of singing together, to connect with like-minded people, and to hopefully forge friendships and collaborations that build bridges across borders.”
As Anand Nayak of Songbirds put it, “It has been an opportunity to meet up with people you have never met before, share your stories with them and listen to theirs. It's enjoyable because, for us, it's the joy of being together, breaking boundaries and reaching out to one another. If we could do this among ourselves and, in course of time, sing with other groups as well, wouldn't our world be a happier place to live in?”
An unusual and special feature of the recent Silver Songbirds event was the fact that the “Play Notes” booklet distributed to the audience included the lyrics of the songs featured in the programme – a mix of familiar, popular songs in English as well as Kannada, Tamil and Hindi. The audience was invited to join in the singing if they felt like it. Many did, thereby helping to create a shared community of people bonding through music.
for quite some time in different parts of the world, including China and several other Asian countries. In fact, the first Thailand International Senior Choral Festival 2026, scheduled in November, is specifically meant to be “a singing festival for senior citizens” from across the globe.
It is possible that now, with at least one such choir each in Sri Lanka and India, Southasia will soon be in a position to be represented at such events. Nirupama Rao ended her opening remarks at the Sunday morning concert and sing-along with words that many in India have grown up with: “Mile sur hamara tumhara" (let our notes meet yours). The words feel even more apt today, she added. “And that, in the end, is what it was all about.”
Ammu Joseph is a senior journalist and author based in Bengaluru. She is a member of the Silver Songbirds of Bengaluru. The article was first posted on April 24, 2026 on Sapan News and can be accessed at: https://sapannews.com/2026/04/24/if-music-be-the-food-of-peace/