By SHIRLEY JOSEPH
A feisty old nun instilled the love of music in a reluctant young student who went on to become a church organist.
MUSIC has become a part of our life, and many adults and children have some sort of musical background.
I was no exception. I had the privilege to be given piano lessons by a nun at a convent near my home. She was known as Sister Angel, and was a Singaporean serving the mission of the Infant Jesus in Malaysia .
She was a petite nun who never smiled but was always determined to teach the best to her students, who comprised both the young and old.
She inherited an old piano from her father and but also had a modern Yamaha model. I actually liked playing the old piano better.
Sister Angel was your no-nonsense kind of teacher who was always stern; time management was always an essential part of the lesson. If anyone was 10 minutes late, he’d have to stand and wait till she was done with her own work. And if you came in all wet from the rain, you’d have to wait outside till you were dry enough .
That was Sister Angel – a piano teacher and a disciplinarian as well.
Besides going to school, my piano lessons became a part of my “studies’’ every year. I sat for both the theory and practical exams held twice a year.
There were times when I didn’t play the piano following the correct tempo, and Sister Angel would stop me and make me repeat the piece from the very beginning by counting aloud.
How embarrassing when the other students were around! And let’s not forget the Italian and Latin musical terms that sounded strange. We had no choice but to memorise them.
There were times when I felt that my piano lessons got a little too tough for me and I almost considered giving up. But after much persuasion from my parents, I continued even while I was in college .
Sadly, during my college years, Sister Angel fell ill. Despite that, she made sure that our music lessons went on as scheduled. She coughed a lot during classes and had to excuse herself each time her cough got in the way of lessons. One could even smell the strong aroma of the cough mixture that she often consumed.
After some time, lessons were disrupted due to her deteriorating health. I remember one time when she was lying down on her bed looking weak and restless. She told another nun who was caring for her that music lessons must continue as usual as the exams were just around the corner.
She corrected my work from her bed and I tried not to let her condition bother me.
Weeks later, she passed away. She was in her 70s. I attended her wake at the convent and was approached by a fellow nun who wanted my sister and I to play at Sister Angel’s funeral the next day, at the convent chapel.
Of course I agreed. As a student of hers for so many years, it was the right thing to do.
Sister Angel set the path for my future – it’s been 14 years since I became a church organist.
I’m sure she has no regrets knowing that some of her students have indeed made use of their musical talents in beautiful and wonderful ways. Sister Angel is watching us from above knowing very well that her passion for music carries on.
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