Christmas gift for Obama from Shillong choir

Shillong: This Christmas, Barack Obama will receive a gift all the way from Meghalaya - a repertoire of "Christmas Everyday", a music album of the Shillong Chamber Choir that performed for the US president when he came to India.

"We are in touch with the US embassy and will definitely send President Obama an album of our Christmas carols," Damon Lyndem, spokesperson of the choir, told reporters. The album was released by Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) legislator and leader of the opposition Conrad K. Sangma. On Nov 8, the 16-member choral group performed for the US president and Michelle Obama at the banquet hosted by President Pratibha Patil. The Obamas appreciated the performance of the young choir mentored by pianist and conductor Neil Nongkynrih. The group presented a medley of gospel songs interspersed with popular Bollywood numbers. Their album consists of popular Christmas carols such as "White Christmas", "Rudolph, the red nose reindeer" and "Santa Claus is coming to town among others. Lyndem said some of the proceeds from the album`s sale would go towards establishing a music school in Meghalaya as pledged by the 16-member group after winning talent hunt show "India`s Got Talent 2" on Colors channel. "We would keep aside an amount from the sale of the album towards building the music school as promised," Lyndem added. The choir also won India`s first gold medal at the World Choir Olympics held in July in China. Mentored by its pianist, the group was formed in 2001 and comprises mostly college students. IANS