Thiruvananthapuram: Music is a way of worship for those who believe in God and thus it has a unique spot in places of worship, especially in Christian Churches. Accordingly, a section of Roman Catholic church laity has decided to revitalise the devotional music rendered in the Sakthikulangara parish under St John de Britto’s Church in Kollam and has roped in none other than legendary musician Jerry Amaldev . The octogenarian musician, who made a mark in the film world and earned a name as a music academic in India and abroad, especially in the US, has agreed to the request of the Samaritans of Sakthikulangara and Yuvajana Sushrusha Samithi to render music lessons to the Church Choir and the laity.
“Let’s see what I can do to improve the quality of music rendered. Music in most churches these days are more cinematic than devotional. Music is supposed to be based only on ACTS, which stands for Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication.
Anything that creates a different mood is not part of the liturgy,” Amaldev told TOI. According to the musician, who won the state award for best music thrice and churned out an innumerable number of devotional songs and choral music, organs are the best-recommended musical instrument for Church choirs, whereas keyboards are the least welcome. “We used to have pedal harmoniums in churches, but as time passed and the quest for the original faded away, people started using instruments like keyboards that were originally meant for cinema and the like.
At best, one may use a guitar or violin or flute to enhance the experience of choir music. My task in Sakthikulangara would be to try and restore the original choir music ,” Amaldev said. The musician said he would select several varieties of choir songs and teach the singers and instrument players to play them flawlessly.
Jerry would conduct in-person lessons once a month, besides three Zoom sessions. “This would help the congregation to pick up finer aspects of devotional singing,” said the parish priest Fr Rajesh Martin. The decision to give a push for music, he said, was part of an attempt to dissuade youngsters from substance abuse.
Creating an alternative source of recreation may be of great help in the fight against growing substance abuse, he said. Jerry Amaldev would inaugurate the St John Britto Music Club at Sakthikulangara on Saturday and would lead a two-hour music concert of popular devotional songs..
