The Choir, the Fellowship, and Fifty-Six Years – Fred Soans

The Choir, the Fellowship, and Fifty-Six Years

Freddy Soans on what made RTMC feel like family

By Fred Soans • Member, RTMC since 1970

A Wedding and a Beginning

My introduction to Richmond Town Methodist Church came through my own wedding. In 1970, before entering the church for the ceremony, I wandered into the parsonage, where Mrs. Dorothy Sampath Kumar graciously helped me freshen up. Rev. Sampath Kumar officiated; Rev. R.G. Soanes solemnised our vows. I had no idea that day that RTMC would become the centre of our lives for the next five and a half decades.

The church services were rich with music and congregational participation. RTMC was known for its singing. My wife and I joined the choir in the late 1970s when Mr. George Cornelius was director — a role he held for over twenty years. His wife supported him with quiet steadiness, holding the choir together as a close-knit community. She was a strong alto; their daughter Usha, an excellent soprano. At the time, RTMC’s choir was regarded as one of the finest in Bangalore.

WINSLOW — IMAGE NO. 5 OF CHOIR

Mrs. Janet Gnanamuthu played the Hammond organ before the service each Sunday, and it became a ritual to arrive early simply to hear her. The music she played in those quiet minutes before the congregation settled was, in itself, a preparation for worship.

“It was a proud moment when the choir sang to the accompaniment of recorded music in 1980 for the first time — probably for the first time in India.”
— Fred Soans

A Journey to Hyderabad

In 1980, Rev. Vinay Kumar Moses sponsored the choir’s trip to Hyderabad for the performance of two cantatas — sung to the accompaniment of recorded music, which was at that time a unique experiment, probably the first of its kind in India. It is now a standard choice for choral performances everywhere. For those of us who made that trip, it was one of the most memorable experiences of our years in the choir.

Passing the Baton

When the Cornelius family relocated to Austria in the late 1980s to join Usha and her husband Rajan, Miss Jean Fritchley took over as Choir Director, with Mrs. Ruth Hicks at the piano.

Miss Fritchley was meticulous and dedicated: she would arrive at least half an hour before each service to place handwritten slips in the hymnals — one for each choir member, listing every item for the morning. The quality of the choir in those years was the direct result of that kind of care.

In the late 1990s, Mr. Thomas Paul — who had moved to Bangalore from Gujarat with his family — joined the choir and eventually took over as Choir Director since Miss Fritchley and Mrs. Hicks could no longer serve due to age. The baton passed in the same spirit in which it had always been held.

Fifty-Six Years of Fellowship

Much has changed. Many of those who worshipped alongside us have moved on. But we cherish these memories, and when possible, we enjoy the fellowship at the RTMC Seniors’ Meet, which has been running for over twenty-five years — started by Cecil Soans, Charles Karkada, and others, with the support of Rev. K. Vasudevan. The church still gives us the opportunity to share our joys, our burdens, and our gratitude. That, in the end, is what the Church has always been there for.