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The music that was intrinsic to Mount Hermon School Hello, Hermonites: I just returned to this site after several months, and it is interesting to see all the new material that has been added to it. Specially, the contributions by Mr Robin Sengupta. Though Mr Sengupta never actually taught me, I was quite aware of his guitaristic activities in the school through the late seventies. Somehow, a couple of things I heard him playing have stayed stuck in my head. I was in Class 8 on the third floor of Stewart Building, sometime in 1978, and I think Mr Sengupta inhabited a room above that. In the middle of some class I heard some interesting and bluesy electric guitar lines. Due to my own increasing fascination with the guitar in those days, even a few notes were something. Then, sometime in 1981 (I think), Mr Sengupta returned to MHS to play a song he had written at one of the frequent "musical nights". He was playing an acoustic guitar alone and singing. Quite a remarkable, original chord sequence, played with a lot of power and conviction. While I am about it, I should acknowledge the musical tradition at MHS - there is simply too much it has given me. It all started when I joined the school in 1975 and for two years after that was exposed to the utterly exuberant and rich music classes given by Mrs Murray. Then there were the Miss Baileys, Miss Sarah Bunce, Miss Rosalyn Rongong, Mr Krishna Baraily, Mr John Glasby, and the formidable and inscrutable Mr Raj David. Being a day student, I never actually took instrument lessons at MHS (I do regret not having learned the piano), but took up the guitar on my own. In my final years there, it was fun to trade blues licks with Mr Glasby, or try to (unsuccessfully !) outplay Mr Raj David (who was an outstanding multi-instrumentalist by any standards). Ms Rongong and Mr Baraily were of great help in 1981 when I started teaching myself the classical guitar. And, of course, there was the legendary Digby Barrow, who I am still trying to trace after a request came in from Dominic. Music was a strong part of the MHS tradition then (I am not aware how it is today). The inter-house music competitions were fun, and I found myself quite active as an arranger for Stahl. There were a lot of excellent student musicians then. I also found myself involved in halting attempts to create a rock band with Virendra Gajmer, Sudip Dixit and Kallol Das. Perhaps it was the first time (under the mildly disapproving look of Rev. Johnston !) that Santana and Deep Purple covers were played in the School hall ! In the years since, I have continued playing the guitar actively in the classical and jazz idioms, and have also written soundtracks for short films. Looking back, it is amazing to realise that MHS created most of the foundation for my musical persona. I do not think there was any place quite like it where I could have acquired the basic understanding of music which is still falling into place, years later. It would be great to hear from all those whose lives were touched by the music that was intrinsic to Mount Hermon School. Regards: -Jayant S- By : Jayant S Graduated : 1983 Date : 10/8/2002 11:55 |
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