Latest news with #MadrasMusicalAssociation
Time of India
19-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
Historic St Andrews Church Raises Funds for Restoration Through Musical Concerts
When a massive pipe organ was installed at St Andrews Church (The Kirk), the parishioners would hardly have thought that 135 years later, the same instrument would help fund the church's restoration. 'We held free western and Indian classical Christian music programmes to fund the restoration,' says Shantakumar, secretary. 'Contributions from attendees are used to build a fund. ' The latest such was a concert on Saturday by the Madras Musical Association string orchestra and The Shatabdi Express. 'The pipe organ, one of the largest in Chennai, was restored about 15 years ago, but the original structure is the same, and it works perfectly,' says Shantakumar. 'The Kirk has a long legacy of music. Well-known musician Handel Manuel, who was part of All India Radio, was the organist and choirmaster here. Every year, a specialist from the UK tunes the organ.' The three-manual, trackeraction organ was bought from Yorkshire-based award-winning makers Peter Conacher & Company in 1883, more than 60 years after the church consecration. The estimated cost was `8,000 in 1883, but the members had only Rs 1,800 in the organ fund at the time. You Can Also Check: Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai A committee was set up to organise a bazaar to generate funds,' says P C R Suresh, a parishioner who headed the restoration project. The church also has a grand piano, which is an indispensable part of the choir Built in 1817 for the Scottish community, The Kirk, which is Scottish for church, stands tall at 166.6ft, its steeple the tallest in the city. 'The leaky roof, spire and dome were restored and the terrace waterproofed,' says Suresh. 'It was made of locally available materials, and we used the same materials – cured and treated limestone, sand and jaggery, for the restoration.' The structure is unique in that the soil in the area was clayey, because of which an ordinary foundation could not be laid. 'The foundation stands on a bed of 150 wells, packed with stones,' says Suresh. According to architect Major Thomas Fiott De Havilland's account, the foundation has also been connected by a series of vaults to strengthen the edifice. 'These vaults, if needed, can bury the dead," says Havilland. However, the entrance to these vaults has not been found. The dome, he writes, is unsupported, and 'built like an eggshell' with pottery cones, without the use of steel or wood. IIT-M's civil engineering and structural engineering department was the consultant for the recent restoration.
New Indian Express
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Musical fundraiser for St Andrews Church's renovation
'The Kirk has been a noted place for church music for over 200 years. It's a privilege for any choir to be a part of its renovation project,' says Augustine Paul, music director of Madras Musical Association (MMA), which has had a longstanding connection with the church. 'MMA has been associated with St Andrew's Kirk since its inception in 1893,' he adds. The concert will feature a selection of Western classical works. 'The orchestra will be performing a harpsichord concerto by Bach, a guitar concerto by Vivaldi and a piano trio by Schubert,' shares Paul. 'The choir will be rendering 10 anthems, of which Sir David Willcock's Lift Up Your Heads is special for me.' The performance will also feature the organ and the piano, instruments that have witnessed decades of sacred music. 'If we manage to present the concert in the best possible way, using the historic organ and piano, I'm sure the audience will enjoy the acoustics and beautiful interior of the church,' he adds.
