Gladly….the girls stopped wrestling with Fleming’s Left Hand Rule, Avogadro's number, Goh Cheng Leong's geographic definitions, the finer points of Akbar’s Din-i-Ilahi and Otto Bismarck’s plan for the Unification of Germany and made their way to the Singing Room. This is one occasion when hardly anyone straggled as they made tracks out of the quad…past the cycle stand, school toilets, pantry rear entrance, bathoo’s domain and tailor’s shed… and headed into the Chapel side entrance of the boarding block to the suite of Music rooms on the ground floor.
Music Maestro Mrs Barbara Thomas, more than the “Pied Piper that beckoned” was always at her piano. With good humour and an unparalleled passion for her art, she single-handedly transformed scores of discordant caterwauling noises to (dare I say ) voices of angels!!!! Scales, Rounds, Ditties, Folk, Religious, Classics and Contemporary…we did them all….who can forget the medley of My Fair Lady and the bewitching sounds of the Bohemian Rhapsody [yes very trendy then...and a still a hot fave today - my 18 year old is impressed that his Mum was taught to sing this in school in 1977]
Mrs Thomas' effort was relentless, her attention to detail - meticulous and the results - always spectacular… whether it was the Inter Class Singing Competitions, special choir numbers at School Prize Day or St Peter’s Evensong services, the fully choreographed events at the Carol Services…or the mega productions that began with Bluebeard once the new Auditorium was completed! Other successes followed...to read more check out the photos and piece on the famous Madras Choir Competition on this the blog!
Thanks Glenis Thomas (nee Mulleneux), who sent us this picture of Barbara Thomas taken in 2005 during a visit to Australia.It’s lovely see Mrs Thomas looking so well and active. Readers will be pleased to know she continues to teach her beloved music - which as she remarked in a recent email “Keeps me in touch with young people, and hopefully their influence keeps my mind fairly trendy!!”
4 comments:
WOW! She looks younger now :-)
Mrs Thomas is indeed a music maestro. She made it possible for us who were learning the piano to strive and reach goals beyond our wildest dreams. She was my mentor in many ways and remains undoutedly my favourite teacher.
From an ex-student: 1976.
Bohemian Rhapsody is one of those "classic" melodies one can never forget. Difficult to sing though!
from Baben....Shoba Mathew 1980
Wow! I was sooooooo happy to see Mrs. Thomas' pic. I literally think of her everyday when I watch my kids practice the piano. When they get stuck with a particular part of a piece I always invoke her advice of playing those measures over and over till they get it. The amazing thing is, I actually remember some of the pieces I learned for the music exams!! I also remember how encouraging she was when I had to perform at the music exam with a whitlow on my left forefinger. She told me to do the best job I could and that the rest would take care of itself...it did.
She was extremely supportive and funny and many of my happiest interactions with the adults around us at bcgs (since I was a boarder) involve Mrs. Thomas. I am still crazy about Bohemian Rhapsody and Queen. As her page turner, I learned a lot from her. I have very fond memories of the carol services and of the immense amount of effort and care you took into putting things together. One of my favorite hymns continues to be Psalm 1 that Nandini Bedi (I think?) sang.from either the orange or the green book that she used often.
As I have told you on more than one occasion, you were an angel in my life and for that I thank you Mrs. Thomas. God Bless You
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