The Kiara Academy of Performing Arts presents Christmas is Coming on November 30 in Bengaluru

The members of The Kiara Academy of Performing Arts with Wendy (centre)
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The Kiara Academy of Performing Arts presents an Advent and Christmas concert, Christmas is Coming, this weekend in the city. The evening will feature popular Christmas music and carols for the first half, while the second half is devoted to cantata.

“That is the Christmas or Easter story told in the form of a song,” says Wendy M Dickson, who has directed the show with associate director Tina Dickson Franco. “It has narrations from the scriptural texts and is accompanied by instruments. The cantata we will be presenting is titled Because of Bethlehem.” 

Most of the singing is accompanied with dance, Wendy says. “The dances are choreographed by Rachel Ann Franco, who was a student of Kiara. We have an excellent team of dancers, all teenagers as well as a few couples in their early 20s.”

The carols, she says, will be a blend of modern and pop with songs including ‘Kid on Christmas’, ‘Holiday Tango’ and ‘Christmas is Coming.’

“These songs inspire the tone of the first half of the event,” says Wendy. “We wanted to get everyone excited about Christmas. ‘This is Christmas’ talks about the moods, the reason and the family for the festive season.”

While the first half will feature modern songs, Wendy says, the second half will include traditional Christmas hymns. “The songs we have chosen will talk about the shepherds, the kings, but we wanted to bring in something new and exciting with tradition.”

Wendy, worked as a professor of English in Jyoti Nivas College, and started Kiara in 2006, specifically for children. “It gradually grew to include adults to help them explore music, theatre and dance.”

Since 2019, the Christmas concert doubled as a fundraiser. “We support St John’s Hospital’s paediatric cancer wing to help children with cancer and serious disorders of the blood. We do this every year in December.”

The fundraising is donated towards The Fr Clement Campos Paediatric Cancer Fund at the hospital. “Father Clement was our mentor and also on the advisory board when we started Kiara. He passed away from cancer and this concert became a fundraiser to honour him and his memory.”

Wendy says, though they might not be able to provide funds for every child, but whatever they get through the concert goes to the children’s treatment. “Even if we can provide funding for one child or some of the treatment, it is a good thing as cancer treatment is expensive and also for the long term.”

Wendy M Dickson (right) started the fundraiser in memory of Fr Clement, who passed away from cancer
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

This year there will also be a Christmas market. “We have invited stalls with goodies, books, food, home bakes and more. We started the market last year and thought it would be nice to continue the tradition. We announced the market on social media got responses from independent bakers and home entrepreneurs who wished to be a part of the market. There will be 20 stalls with food, confectioneries, short eats and all things connected to Christmas.”

Wendy says that the idea to bring in more people for the event was to celebrate the spirit of Christmas. “It is a time of people to come together to enjoy have a good time, yet at the same time, support one another.”

The stalls will open one-and-a-half hours before the concert and it runs independently even when the concert is going on and post the concert too.

Christmas is Coming will be presented on November 30, 6pm at St John’s Auditorium, Koramangala. Tickets on Zomato Live. Call 9845274846 / 9880855688 for details.