THE BOMBAY SEMINARY: A Musical Treat – Tune-In!
The impressive inauguration ceremony of the Bombay Seminary was rendered lovelier by the breath-taking melodies that filled the evening atmosphere. The open sky, rolling hills, sprawling flowerbeds, soaring palms, riot of colours, and the myriad of lights proved but a perfect setting for the soulful evening. The Clergy Choir, the Police Band, and the Naval Band regaled the audience with emotive as well as foot-tapping renditions. Sixty years later we bring to you these scintillating compositions. To have an enlivening experience click on the YouTube link and tune in your musical minds.
October 5, 1960 – The Inauguration function opened with three lively pieces by the newly formed Clergy Choir in its first public appearance. The choir was trained under the baton of Msgr George Fernandes. The renditions included:
The Jolly Miller – Arr. By Virginia French – Also known as ‘The Miller of Dee’, this light-hearted English folk song revolves around a miller who plies his trade on the River Dee. Content with his fair living, the miller holds no concerns for inordinate pleasures. The song was put to paper as part of an 18th-century play, however, it has existed in the unwritten form several years before. Several poets have produced variations of the original. Here is one of them – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lT_SQF6EZtM
Fr. Warner D'Souza is a Catholic priest of the Archdiocese of Bombay. He has served in the parishes of St Michael's (Mahim), St Paul's (Dadar East), Our Lady of Mount Carmel, (Bandra), a ten year stint as priest-in-charge at St Jude Church (Malad East) and at present is the Parish Priest at St Stephen's Church (Cumballa Hill). He is also the Director of the Archdiocesan Heritage Museum and is the co-ordinator of the Committee for the Promotion and Preservation of the Artistic and Historic Patrimony of the Church.
