Shillong choir group to send Barack Obama a Christmas gift

A Christmas gift all the way from Shillong awaits US President Barack Obama.

The Shillong Chamber Choir, which serenaded the Obamas with their performance during their visit to India last month, will be sending their recently-released album Christmas Everyday to the US president.

The choir left for New Delhi today where they will attend a pre-Christmas party at Roosevelt House, the official residence of the US ambassador, on Thursday.

"This is an honour to us to solicit the US ambassador's invitation. As a reciprocal gesture to this and the chance they gave us to perform at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, we will be sending the Christmas album to him. It is a fitting occasion to present him with the token gift," a choir manager said.

The 16 member young group of singers had performed for Barack and his wife Michelle Obama at President Pratibha Patil's presidential banquet at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on November 8.

The gift will be signed by the choir members and send to the Obamas through the embassy, he said.

The album is an eclectic mix of traditional and popular Christmas songs and delightful renditions of holiday favourites such as Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Away in a manger and White Christmas.

It also includes three classical pieces from Handel's Messiah, Glory to God, Rejoice and Lift up your Heads, tastefully interpreted by the choir.

Last month the choir group had caught the nation's imagination as they thumped victory at the reality show India's Got Talent - Khoj 2 on Colors TV.