Godwin Figueiredo, 63, is a busy man these days. His services of singing, teaching and conducting Latin choirs are in demand. For it is Christmas time, a time for tradition.
On December 24 the Midnight Mass at Santa Cruz Basilica is held in Latin. The only other day a similar mass is held there is on Maundy Thursday. A Latin Mass is rare and is held in churches only on special occasions, on feasts and certain functions. “It’s a very special mass, because it is in Latin. It feels more solemn and divine,” says Coral Demonte, one from among the choir.
It was in 1965 that the Second Vatican Council, informally called Vatican II, passed a decree allowing liturgical songs in churches across the world to be sung in the vernacular language of the region, and suddenly Latin Mass, choir and songs went out of favour replaced by local language and flavour. Yet Latin renditions remain a precious legacy, sung and savoured on special occasions.
Godwin being one of the very few, probably the sole person, teaching Latin songs treasures his talent. He entered this field as part of family tradition. His grandfather Emmanuel Nazare Figueiredo was selected for his beautiful voice by the church in 1895. “There was an audition and those who spoke good language and had a good voice were chosen. Remember there was no mike then. My grandfather learnt Latin songs from the Jesuit priests. He became so adept that he was called mesthari kappela of St. Sebastian Church. He used to play the violin, called rebekka .”’
Godwin’s father Jose Leon played the organ and the violin. Godwin began singing in the choir as a five-year-old, which was polyphonic those days, with the bass, tenor, alto and soprano sung together. He began singing in tenor. “Those times were different,” recalls Godwin. The romance of the St. Sebastian Scout Band was alive. Western music instruments brought by a priest from Paris were used and the big brass and gilded bassoon, cornets, clarinets, trumpets, bass, trombone, flute, oboe, French horn and drums were commonly used. The music ensnared the young Godwin as fresh tune to a yearning ear. “I was growing up with all this around me,” he says.
His father used to play the conical-bore Euphonium. Strangely there was no one guru for Godwin. Eraly Mathew and Jacob, businessmen in Chullikal had a recreation club near Godwin’s house in Thoppumpady, where a violin master, Calistus from Nazareth frequented. Godwin observed him consciously. At the same time the famous singer K.J.Yesudas was then a senior student in St. Sebastian School in Palluruthy. Godwin would hang on to the window of his class listening to Yesudas and the school band making music together. After class he would get the music sheet and copy the notation, which he played on his father’s violin when his father was away. In 1971 at Sacred Heart College Godwin met Rex Isaacs, a family friend who took him along to Kalabhavan where he started playing for playback singers. He went on to play for musical greats like Yesudas, S. Janaki, Vani Jairam, P. Susheela, P. Jayachandran and K.S. Chitra. A niche he created for himself through this musical journey was one of composing devotional songs. He has 800 to his credit. Some of the known ones are Nanma Niranja Maamariae sung by Yesudas, Uyirthezhunnettu Nathan , sung by Yesudas and Sujata.
Journeying through all this Godwin today is most sought after for church choirs, both in Latin and English.
“Latin choir is popular. It is melodious and does not have the disturbance of rhythmic instruments. It is performed only with flowing instruments,” he says. On the history of the Gregorian chant former Rector of Santa Cruz Basilica, Fr. Francis M. J. Fernandez says, in the beginning of the 5th century Pope Gregory the Great started this tradition and that’s why even today this is known as the Gregorian chant.”
It was from the 1970s that Godwin began visiting the different dioceses – Varapuzha, Punalur, Alappuzha and Kottapuram - teaching Latin songs. He also began teaching in the many Italian and Portuguese convents and in the seminaries from Aluva to Kumbalanghi. Some popular songs performed by the Latin choir are Missa De Angelis, Missa Pastrala, Missa Tertia, Missa Dumont . At his music school Do Re Mi, formed in 1990, Godwin strives to keep alive the tradition of the Gregorian chant. “Yes, people are interested in learning Latin songs. We give them the same words in Malayalam, which they sing. It is important for them as it is carrying forward a custom. ”
