After 125 years, Madras Music Association still on song

There was a huge milestone for the Madras Music Association (MMA) choir and Symphony Orchestra when they performed last week. The choir is now 125 years old and the inaugural performance was a very special one even as many events are being planned to celebrate this landmark year. The chairman and convener of the Quasi-centenary committee, Dr. Ravi Santhosham touched upon the journey of MMA from the late 19th century to the present and some key events in the history of this institution. The special evening began with the MMA Symphony Orchestra conducted by the Music Director of MMA, Augustine Paul presenting works by Mozart, followed by a prayer song by the WCC Western Music Club.

The choir, which performed overseas including at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, played for the Pope in 2009 in Rome, at the London Olympics in 2012, in Vienna in 2016 and also won gold and silver diplomas at the 4th Asia Pacific Choir Games in Colombo in 2017. The choir will hold a Sunday afternoon concert twice a month featuring young and old musicians, in both instrumental and vocal presentations. “From March onwards on the second and fourth Sundays we’ll have a special concert basically to promote talent,” MMA secretary, Samuel Prabhakar, said. The voice group sings in Latin, French, Italian, German and, of course, English.

If we look back over the city’s history, it was the years of the late 19th century when South India became fans of western music and western choral groups began to sprout.  In 1893, a group of European expatriates who loved to sing together founded The Madras Musical Association (MMA) in St. Andrews Church (The Kirk) under the baton of Signor Aloysio, an Italian who also served as the choir director of The Kirk. And the MMA was unveiled.

“MMA has become a fully Indian choir group to perform, produce and promote western music,” shared Prabhakar while explaining the golden past of the school. Western music has been an inseparable part of the glorious choir group for years. Western classical was great for generations but now the choir is enriching its concerts with new genres of music - jazz, pop and A cappella (group or solo singing without instrumental accompaniment). Performing new and difficult pieces from jazz, pop, and classical too will be the agenda for the ongoing session of music, informed Samuel. Some of the dignitaries present at the inaugural of the 125th year were MM Rajendran, former Governor of Odisha, Robert Burgess, US Consul General and K. M. Mammen of MRF when past conductors of MMA were honoured.