The Choir Among their many highlights was the performance in front of Yuri Gagarin, the first human to journey into outer space, at the Russian consulate in Chennai, in 1972. (See photo). In 2017, they were part of the John F Kennedy Centennial Celebrations in Washington D.C. The group has trained more than 6,000 children across Tamil Nadu on themes like the importance of libraries, civic sense, and so on, besides conducting mass-singing programs. ***** MBS & the film industry In the early 1960s, M.B. Srinivasan transformed the working conditions of South Indian film musicians by founding the Cine Musicians' Union in Madras. At a time when instrumentalists and singers were underpaid and often cheated by producers, he united the community, drafted bylaws, and set fair wages for rehearsals, recordings, and conveyance. His initiative brought financial security and dignity to countless musicians. The Union’s success inspired other branches of the industry — from dancers and camera crews to make-up artists — to form their own bodies, leading to the creation of the Film Employees Federation of South India (FEFSI), with MBS as a founding architect. ****** With the setting up of a junior choir in 1995, they have received an influx of young blood, and the introduction of refreshing influences on their craft. To commemorate the centenary birth anniversary of MBS, the choir performed at the TAG Dakshinamurthi Auditorium, Mylapore, on 20 September 2025. The ceremony was honoured by the presence of celebrated musicians and composers V.S. Narasimhan and Rajkumar Bharathi, the great grandson of Mahakavi Bharathiyar. Veteran theatre actor-director, P.C. Ramakrishna is the president of the MBS choir.