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A tenor in the Sydney Philharmonia Chamber Singers, Dr Rajah Selvarajah of Sydney City Dentist has been singing his entire life.
“The Sydney Philharmonia Choir consists of a few different choirs. There’s the Symphony Choir that works with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. There’s the Festival Chorus, a large group that comes together about twice a year, and Vox, the youth choir. Finally, the Chamber Singers are a group of 30 people who must audition every couple of years to keep their spot. I’m a tenor with the Chamber Singers.
“We perform a wide range of musical styles and often augment the Symphony Choir to create a stronger sound. A recent concert featured Rodgers and Hammerstein songs. We’ve also performed a piece by Deborah Cheetham, the First Nations soprano and composer. It was a fantastic requiem for a group of people who were killed in a massacre in Victoria. The Chamber Singers also did a Christmas concert at St Philip’s that had some unusual and rare Christmas carols.
“One of my favourite performances was a concert with Simone Young conducting the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. It was a piece by Arnold Schoenberg called Gurre-Lieder. It doesn’t get performed often because it needs an enormous orchestra, a very large choir and exceptional soloists. It was hard work, but the result was quite wonderful.
“I’ve been singing my whole life and I studied piano. After school, I seriously considered going to the Conservatorium of Music but there was family pressure to study medicine or dentistry. I’m very grateful that I’ve managed to keep music an important part of my life. I’ve done solo work with various choirs and have also had paid work as an extra tenor with the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs when they have been short of singers for big performances. Then I decided to join the Chamber Singers full-time.
“At the beginning of each year, you commit to a number of programs. Rehearsals are at least once a week but can be up to four times a week if a big performance is approaching. I believe that singing can be learned. Everybody has a voice and it’s a wonderful thing to do. Community choirs are open to everyone and don’t require any previous training. You can just turn up and learn the songs.
“Making music is at the centre of why I love performing in a choir. When the music comes together, it takes me to a different place and is quite a wonderful experience. It also creates a balance in my life. I have a busy practice, and I teach at the University of Sydney, so I need something on the other side of the equation. I could not manage the intensity of my working week without the joy of my choir.”
