A choir consisting of 100 priests and 100 nuns. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

You have heard him singing Carnatic kriti and devotional songs, now KJ Yesudas brings life to it Asmaakam Thatha Sarvesha/Swarga Lokam Adhishthitah (Our Father, Lord of all, live in heaven above, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come) in his own unique style. He is accompanied by a group of 100 priests and 100 nuns. The video was shot at three locations: Little Flower Church in Elamkulam, Kochi; Recording sessions with the Los Angeles Orchestra in LA; and a special segment featuring the veteran singer in Florida.

Bengaluru-based violinist and composer Manoj George and Carnatic singer Fr. KJ Yesudas’s disciple Paul Poovathingal CMI has been released recently servicesaA Sanskrit rendition of the Lord’s Prayer. the lyrics of the song are ChristubhagavatamA work by the renowned Sanskrit scholar Professor PC Devasiya. Pope Francis formally released the track during a special audience at the Vatican on November 20, 2024.

Pope Francis is issuing servicesaA work by Manoj George and Fr. Paul Poovathingal | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

“Meeting Pope Francis was a divine experience,” says Manoj. “When we explained the gist of the song, the Pope listened attentively and graciously signed the album cover.”

Manoj attributes this to the concept servicesa Paul to Fr. “One day he called me to share the idea of ​​composing Our Father in Heaven in Sanskrit. We decided to tune it in Raga Natabhairavi using Indian and Western orchestrations. The goal was to create a universal appeal by combining diverse musical elements.

Next came the challenge of ensuring correct pronunciation. “For this I contacted Sanskrit scholars including Professor Neelkanth of Kerala University.”

After finalizing the tune, Manoj began writing the orchestral score incorporating string, woodwind and choral arrangements. “The polyphonic structure was designed to complement while enhancing the spiritual essence of the raga,” says Manoj.

sum up

KJ Yesudas has composed the tune of the track. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The choir, consisting of 100 priests and 100 nuns, was carefully put together. “We wanted a powerful collective voice to convey the essence of prayer. Priests and nuns, mainly from Kerala, were trained for the performance. After this we rehearsed in a studio in Cochin.

On the decision to collaborate with Yesudas, Manoj said, “After recording the main track, we felt we needed a great voice to anchor the song – someone who could really sing ‘Our Father in Heaven’. Can give embodiment of spiritual seriousness. Yesudas’s former student, Father Paul, approached him and he humbly agreed. Yesudas’s vocals were recorded in Florida and later combined with orchestral arrangements performed by the Los Angeles Orchestra, whose composers are renowned for their work on Hollywood scores. The result was a moving opening line that set the tone for the entire track. “The Los Angeles Orchestra is comprised of top-tier musicians who play for prestigious events like the Oscars and GRAMMYs. My friend Ricky Cage introduced me to their coordinator, Rocio Marrone, who helped assemble the group.

The singers gathered in Kochi for the shoot. “The biggest challenge was bringing together such a large group within a limited time frame. We had only two to three hours before the evening prayer meeting at the Little Flower Church, but everything went smoothly because of careful planning and the support of the pastor,” recalls Manoj.

While the primary goal is to ensure wider reach for Cervesa, Manoj points out that this project marks the beginning of Fr. Paul’s endeavor is to start a place where music therapy can be used to heal children suffering from autism.