Preserve rarest musical instrument, urges ‘Champion’ pipe organist

HYDERABAD: Pipe organs rank amongst the rarest and toughest of musical instruments. The organist has to use both hands and press the keys using feet. It is often described that a pipe organ is a complete symphony in itself.

There are only three pipe organs in Telangana-CSI Cathedral Medak, St. George’s Church Abids and Church of St John The Baptist. Of the 400 in India, many of them are being dismantled. One such functional pipe organ is at St John's the Baptist church in Marredpally. Established in 1813, the church installed the pipe organ in 1908. It has three layers with 765 pipes.

Within the musical fraternity, the pipe organ is invariably associated with retired naval commodore T.M.J. Champion. The maestro played it for each and every mass at St Johns church till the lockdown. Now he is confined to his home.

Turning nostalgic, the 75-year-old musician says “This is a symphony in itself. I am now physically weak but I still feel like playing more of the pieces, and there is so much I have to learn.”

Champion, an electric engineer by profession, started playing when he was eleven. His father was a musician in Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu.

“My father was keen that I play the pipe organ, which in those days only the British used to play. In 1990, I got an opportunity to perform before the then President R. Venkataraman,” he says.

As the instrument needs intense practice, not many show interest. I feel that the dismantled pipe organs should be restored and preserved for posterity, he said.

Going further, he pointed out “I restored many pipe organs free of cost. One such is at Medak church. It is a goof augury that although most locals were not Christians, they all pooled money to bear the restoration expenses. They said that it was their town and hence wanted to keep the heritage intact. That kind of spirit should be there within all people.” he said

Champion has trained some pipe organists. One of them is Joshua Virender, who cleared different levels of certification on the instrument

“Champion’s music is peerless. His performances across all layers remain unmatched”, Virender said.

St. Johns Church, Pipe Organ was built by Mohamed Habibullah of M/s Misquith and Co, Chennai, in September 1908. It is 10×15 feet and houses 590 pipes arranged in 10 ranks (arranged on the basis of their timbre and pitch), mounted vertically on a wind-chest. The pipes produce sound when pressurized air produced by bellows is driven through them.