As a young medical student who performed across the world as a part of GATT quintet, Dr Ravi Santosham remembers being extremely intimidated by the Madras Musical Association. “Shivers ran down my spine,” he recalls, “when I thought about joining the choir which was then conducted by Handel Manuel himself. We are talking about the stalwarts of Western classical music.”
Today, Dr Ravi is the patron of this iconic institution that still stands tall as the oldest Western musical association east of the Suez Canal. With a rich legacy spanning 125 years, MMA continues to be one of the key institutions responsible for initiating a Western classical movement in the city.
Through 1983 and 1986, the committee regrouped and formed with various eminent personalities. “When Handel Manuel left, there was a lull in the functioning with many of the singers leaving,” says Dr Ravi, adding that he took over the Presidentship in 1990.
In 2008, Augustine Paul, became the music director and conductor. “I have been with MMA for the past 35 years and have been part of all the international tours since 1984, except for one performance in the UK,” says Augustine. He joined the choir as a 27-year-old singer.
Over the years, not much has changed, observes the musician, except:“Currently, we have a very strong choir of 100-odd members. Till 2000, there were around 40 to 50 members,” continues Augustine, musing that 100 people meeting every week for rehearsals would definitely be a first.
MMA has seen a constant inflow of young students who stick around for three to five years before they decide to pursue higher studies in music. The average age of singers has also come down to 30. “I was very surprised to see a lot of youngsters showing an interest in Western classical. We do a lot of different genres as well, but the youngsters insist on sharpening their skills in classical music,” says Dr Ravi.
He adds that the niche audience that appreciates Western classical music in the city is sometimes more knowlegeable than the performers themselves, thanks to years of following the genre intently. “I feel very proud to be saying this sitting here in Chennai, which is the seat of Carnatic music,” continues Augustine. However, with a choir of this size, it is difficult to identify spaces that would accommodate all the performers. “I usually say that we go to the venue for a space-check and not a sound-check,” laughs Augustine.
Featuring this weekend, MMA’s Aqua promises to be a musical experience with a small dose of theatrics and interaction, heavily backed by music of all genres from classical to contemporary, rock, pop and jazz
Commemorating the 125th year of MMA, Aqua, featuring the MMA choir and the band will be performed on October 12 and 13 at 7 pm at Museum Theatre. Donor tickets are priced at ₹300, ₹500 and ₹1,000, and can be purchased from ProMusicals, PMA School of Music, Galilee Academy of Music, Musee Musicals and MMA choristers.
Through the years
In 1893 , MMA was founded by a group of young English expatriates at St Andrews Church (The Kirk)
In 1958 , Padma Shri awardee Handel Manuel took charge as the first Indian conductor of MMA which until then was dominated by the English.
In 1991 , choir singer Christabelle Howie won the Miss India title. Says Dr Ravi, “We did a show called Over the Rainbow directed by Mithran Devanesan, and presented Howie as the lead singer.”
The same year, they received an invitation from the International Church Music Festival in Coventry, England.
The choir performed at the 2006 Sydney Olympics and the 2012 London Olympics
The choir sang for the Pope in 2009 in Rome, and performed at Vienna in 2016 and in Colombo in 2017 .
