Twenty-five singers, six languages, one stage in Kompally

The practical problem those verses run into is that Christian music in India is organised by language, which in practice means organised by region, which in practice means most of us only ever hear the songs of people who sound like us. A Telugu believer in Hyderabad, a Tamil believer in Chennai and a Hindi-speaking believer in Nagpur can spend a whole life worshipping the same God in rooms that never overlap.

Oneness puts them on one stage and asks them to sing in turn.

Where it came from

The first Oneness premiered on 30 May 2022: a single medley, arranged and produced by the Tamil musician Giftson Durai, released as a Telugu Christian song. It has since been watched more than 13.8 million times.

What is striking about that first video is not the number but the roll call. John Wesly and Blessie Wesly. Bro Anil Kumar. Bishop Samuel Finny. Bishop Rachel Komanapalli. Hosanna Ministries. Samuel and Sreshta Karmoji. Jyothi Raju. Enosh Kumar Vasamsetti. Much of the senior Telugu church, singing on one track.

Season two followed on 15 August 2023, again with Durai, and widened the circle beyond Telugu: Paul Dhinakaran and Samuel Dhinakaran, Akshaya Praveen, Allen Ganta, John Erry. It has close to five million views. It was filmed at the Bishop Ernest Paul Komanapalli Memorial Campus in Kismathpur.

Then a pause of nearly two years.

Season three arrived on 5 May 2025 and was a different thing entirely. Music by Stephen Renswick. Instead of one film, four: a Hindi Collective, a Telugu Collective, a Tamil Collective, and a Tamil and Malayalam Collective, each with its own artists, released across most of a year. Gersson Edinbaro, Persis John, Joel Thomas Raj, Steven Samuel Devassy, Reenukumar and Alwin Thomas in Tamil. Sheldon Bangera, Emmanuel Gollar, Ajay Chavan, Shelley Reddy, Amit Kamble and Cameron Mendes in Hindi, with the film composer Anup Rubens among the names thanked. Rev Paul Thangiah and Sammy Thangiah.

The individual songs did numbers most Indian churches would envy. Aashiq Tera with Emmanuel Gollar has passed 5.8 million. Anthyakala Abhishekam with Persis John, 2.7 million. Mera Dil Bane Tera Sinhasan, 1.5 million.

Season three was filmed at NLAG Kompally, which is where season five now returns. Season four, Redefined, came with the music director Stanley Sajeev.

One name from season three is worth noticing this month. Tali Angh, who sang Chillakar Gaoonga in the Hindi Collective, is one of the three worship leaders at Sound Barrier at Gachibowli Indoor Stadium on 31 October. Reinhard Komanapally, who founded that conference, is thanked in season three's credits. The two largest Christian gatherings in Hyderabad this month are closer to each other than either advertises.

What is different about this one

Seasons one and two were recordings. Season three went live. Season five is live again, which is the reason to be in the room rather than waiting for the video.

It means the congregation is not an audience. The singers and the ministers worship together and the people in the hall worship with them, in six languages, most of which any given person will not speak. That is the whole argument of the thing: that you can be carried by a song you cannot translate, because you know who it is about.

For readers who moved to Hyderabad for work and have not yet found a church they belong to, that is a useful evening. You do not have to know anyone. You do not have to speak the language being sung. You turn up.

If you are going

New Life Assembly of God Church, Sy. No. 637 and 638, Medchal Road, near Geetanjali Global School, Devarayamjal, Hyderabad 500078. Directions on Google Maps.

Friday 16 October, 5pm. Three hours.

Parking is limited and the organisers recommend a cab. All ages welcome, and anyone aged three and over needs a ticket. Tickets are on thumpN.