As I navigated through traffic and finally entered the historic Church of the Assumption, it felt surreal. I had watched it, walked past it and driven past it many, many times. Yet the feeling of awe always takes me by surprise whenever I enter one of these buildings that have stood strong for centuries. For the Church of the Assumption, that is 240 years, to be exact.
The occasion was particularly memorable as the church celebrated the legacy of the first Catholic community established in Malaya, with His Eminence Cardinal Dato’ Seri Sebastian Francis gracing the event.
As we waited for more people to walk in and find their seats, I found myself admiring the church’s architecture and grandeur once again. There is something humbling about sitting inside a building that has stood for centuries, and on this particular evening, that sense of history was made even more poignant by the music that was about to fill it.
The concert
The concert opened with a lively rendition of Mozart’s Turkish March, performed masterfully by organist Leonard Selva Gurunathan. It was an apt choice, and as attendees continued to trickle in, the melody seemed to come alive within the church’s natural acoustics.
I have heard this piece played many, many times by many talented pianists, but watching Leonard navigate the organ was a completely different experience. His hands moved across the keys while his feet worked the pedals, and I found myself fascinated by the mechanics of the instrument and the way it could produce such a range of sounds.
And this was no ordinary organ. The church’s pipe organ was procured from Morton and Moody in England in 1914 and installed in 1916, and is now regarded as the second-oldest playable pipe organ in Malaysia. Sitting there watching a new generation of musicians play an instrument that has been part of the church’s story for more than a century was quite something.
When the choir took the stage, their voices seemed to boom through the church, filling every corner of the sanctuary. The live camera projection also allowed the audience to watch the musicians more closely, giving us a visual connection to what was happening at the organ and on stage.
Seeing a fresh generation of young musicians, including Mathew Arwinraj, navigating the centuries-old organ was particularly inspiring. There was something wonderful about watching young hands bring new life to an instrument that has witnessed generations of worshippers and musicians.
The first half continued with several memorable highlights.
Ave Maria, rendered effortlessly by soprano Lynette Quah and accompanied by Leonard on the organ, was intensely moving. There was a stillness in the church as her voice rose above the accompaniment, creating one of those moments when an audience simply listens.
This was followed by Awake, Sleeper, performed by Mathew Arwinraj, and Old Hundredth, performed by Leonard and accompanied by Jovden on trumpet. For the fifth and final piece of the first half, the audience was invited to join the choir, turning the congregation from listeners into participants.
A century in sound
During the 15-minute intermission, attendees flooded the aisles, taking photographs against the sanctuary’s magnificent architectural backdrop and exchanging warm conversation. Some appeared to be regular church patrons, making it particularly heartwarming to see the church community coming together not just for worship, but also to celebrate its music and history.
The second half opened with Jeremiah Clarke’s Prince of Denmark’s March, before Michelle Richards delivered a beautiful Panis Angelicus, accompanied on violin by Gerrard Richards. Victor M. Cheah then continued the musical momentum with Handel’s Arrival of the Queen of Sheba.
But one of the evening’s most memorable moments came not from a standalone musical piece, but from the organ itself.
As the narrator told the story of the organ’s journey through more than a century of history, a faint organ melody played softly in the background. As the story progressed, the music gradually grew in intensity, eventually building into a powerful crescendo as the restoration was brought to its conclusion.
For a moment, it felt as though the organ itself was telling its story.
It had witnessed generations pass through the church, survived the passage of time and finally undergone restoration. And as the music reached its crescendo, it almost felt like a declaration that its story was far from over.
Perhaps the best years of this old instrument are still ahead of it.
A joyful finale
For the finale, the choir and conductor took their position in front of the sanctuary, bringing their voices closer to the audience. I was completely lost in the ethereal voices of the choir and the atmosphere they had created throughout the evening.
The ensemble began with F.J. Haydn’s The Heavens Are Telling, followed by Bach’s Liebster Jesu, Wir Sind Hier. The evening then drew to a joyous close with the choir singing Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee, followed by the closing blessings and the traditional hymn God Be With You Till We Meet Again.
It was more than simply a concert. It was a celebration of faith, history and music, bringing together an instrument that has survived more than a century, musicians from different generations and an audience gathered beneath the majestic walls of one of Penang’s historic places of worship.
And perhaps that was what made the evening so special.
For a few hours, the old church, the century-old organ and the new generation of musicians seemed to exist in perfect harmony. The building carried the weight of 240 years of history, while the organ carried more than a century of its own.
Yet there we were, listening to it all being brought to life again.
While buildings age and instruments require restoration, music has a wonderful way of keeping history alive.
About the writer:
Monica Mohan is a teacher by profession and a passionate advocate of the performing arts. She believes the arts have the power to make us better, bring us closer and deepen our understanding of one another. Naturally reserved, Monica comes alive in the right company—where her curiosity, warmth and colours shine.
Seni:Kita (pentaspena.pg@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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