The performers (from left): The writer, Matthew Arwinraj, Hannah Thoraisingam, Daniel Joel de Costa, Jason Edward and Victor Cheah. Photos: Leonard Selva Gurunathan
After many years, I finally had the opportunity to propose an organ recital for the George Town Festival 2024. The timing was perfect, as I had been training a new generation of organists who were ready to perform at St George’s and the Church of the Assumption.
My students – Matthew Arwinraj, Jason Edward, and Hannah Thoraisingam – gave their recitals alongside organists Daniel Joel de Costa and Victor Cheah from the Church of the Assumption.
The custodians from both churches – Bishop Stephen Soe, Father Edmund, and Father Desmond – were gracious in allowing secular music to be played on the organ in the sacred spaces they administer. I ensured that the pieces performed would promote a universal message of love and hope.
The concert was held on two Saturdays (July 20 and 27), featuring the only two pipe organs in George Town – the organ at St George’s Church, assembled in 2017, and the historical organ at the Church of the Assumption, assembled in 1916. Each organ has its own unique sound. The blend of the old and the new organs contributed to the concert's success.
We were delighted to see many friends from different walks of life at the Free Lunchtime Organ Recital, and on both days, we played to a full house. We also welcomed visitors from abroad who took advantage of the festival to attend the concert.
The concert audience.
A lifelong dream of mine had been to showcase the versatility of the organ for playing Malaysian patriotic pieces and evergreen classics. The programme – featuring the following pieces and some of my compositions – was designed to evoke a sense of belonging among the audience. One piece, in particular, was composed during the Covid MCO era, inspired by the sunrise and sunset, hoping for a new dawn after the destructive pandemic. I named it Dawn, and it was well received.
The St George's Church organ.
My students performed their pieces flawlessly. Classics such as Putera Puteri by Jimmy Boyle were played by Daniel de Costa, and Malaysian favourite childhood songs like Jong Jong Inai were played by Victor. Not to miss the evergreen classics, Matthew played Hujan di Tengahari by the late Tan Sri P. Ramlee, and Jason played his favourite, Perajurit Tanah Air Ku. Meanwhile, Hannah played the theme song from the movie Interstellar, which got the audience excited.
As I played my pieces, I was particularly nervous about performing Malaysia, Oh Tanah Air Ku, a demanding piece I had arranged for myself. It was written in a three-part chorale style, where an independent melodic accompaniment is played first, followed by the introduction of the main melody. Whenever I play Bach’s chorale pieces, I enter a meditative state, focusing on the main melody of the chorale. I experienced a similar meditative state while playing this piece, reflecting on how blessed I am to be a son of this country.
The organ recital concluded with a grand finale, with Matthew pulling out all the stops on the organ for his rendition of Boellmann's Toccata.
The Assumption Church Organ.
The audience expressed their enjoyment of the local patriotic songs performed on the pipe organ. Many remarked how well the Malay patriotic and evergreen songs sounded on the instrument. The audience shared that the music brought back childhood memories.
We were blessed to have many volunteers from both churches who helped with various tasks, including video projection of the organists, programme notes on slides, ushering, and social media promotion. Their support was invaluable.
I look forward to more unifying Malaysian organ recitals in the future, featuring our beloved patriotic songs and evergreen classics. I will continue working on my pieces, including Samudera Raya (a song of the Royal Malaysian Navy) and an Alleycats song, for the next organ recital, if the opportunity arises.
The performers seated in front of a pipe organ.
