For the Love of Music — Jabez Janakaraj
Thank You – I want You to know what You did for me
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There was once upon a time a naïve young man,
His name was Thomas – and he was in the frying pan,
He played the violin – as an afterthought,
Never guessing it would be the beginning that he got,
An authority said, “Thomas – you might be able to sing”,
And in the heavenly vales of acappella took him under his wing.
The young man had a secret – terrible indeed,
An illness so serious, a crippling disease,
He had lost faith in hope – there was no joy in his life.
He had even given up all thought of finding – say – one day – a wife!
But something happened - a moment most magical,
A discovery that for him rivaled advances alchemical,
He would never ever have thought it – but he could sing,
And in magical wonder embraced the exhilarating joy it did bring.
The magic, the beauty, the sheer joy in poetry,
Inspiring ecstasies of most ethereal heavenly purity,
He was actually capable – to his own disbelief.
And at a time when he had been just enduring such grief!
It was incandescent, brilliant, shimmering and shining,
Relief, blessed relief from problems sanity undermining,
Everything else in his life suddenly just faded away,
His entire being was enthralled, as if seeing a new sunrise’s first rays.
I found joy, I found peace, I found magical consolation,
Truly music did emanate from the Most Wondrous Heavenly Dimension,
The sheer relief from my pain, my unbearable mental torment,
Blessed feelings of joy that had for so long lay dormant.
Demons of pain, or torment, of wretched failure,
Fled shrieking in terror of the Light of Christ Most Clear,
It brought me blessed happiness – and it brought me lasting joy,
At a time in my life when everything else (health, strength, hope!) felt just coy.
This young man’s degree was going, his papers in arrears,
Mentally he never even had a hope of a career,
His dreaded deadly illness had never ever been worse.
This One Bright Light shone through his darkness and helped him reverse.
This young man, so naïve, so thoughtless,
Doesn’t know what to say, the sheer relief from his distress,
The doctors had given up – and so had his extended family,
The unanimous consensus was that my life was destined to end in frivolity.
Now how do I say this? Just what can I say?
Describing a hidden talent is not an apt way,
I discovered a new part of myself that I didn’t know existed.
And Uncle, You were the Examiner Par Excellence who found it.
You trained me, You showed me in avenues celestial,
That the study of voice production was something most magical,
You inspired excellence – it was an unrivalled immeasurable gift,
At a time in my life when my thoughts had begun to just drift.
I found joy, peace and happiness I thought I had forever lost,
From the Shades of Hades I came to Heavenly Vales nectar-tossed,
I didn’t know what to do to somehow say or convey all this,
But I had to try. I wanted to thank the source of my bliss.
BUT
I didn’t know what to say – or how to express it better,
So I wrote this (rather contrived) lyrical letter.
Uncle, at a time in my life when everything around me was collapsing, you invested more in me than my own father was doing at that time. I could never imagine how much impact a choir could have on my very self-worth.
For what it’s worth – I just want to say I’m really sorry.
I didn’t know the true worth of what you gave me – were giving me – are still giving me.
I know I can’t really make it up to you. But I sure wanted – DESPARATELY – to try.
Your acappella choir practices became some of the most blessed times in my life when I felt I had entered a new heavenly world. If it were not for those seemingly incongruous choir practices, fellowship, and singing sessions – I will go so far as to testify that I might not be here today. I passed out of that terrible time of my life because of the Love of Jesus my Lord, but, throughout, it was the acappella music in my life that kept the smile on my face and all that positive energy within my body.
I’d like to close with another rhyme:
‘My joy was beyond words – beyond thought – beyond desire,
When I sang – for the first time – Handel’s Messiah.’
Thank you – thank you – thank you.
May that heavenly joy be forever yours,
Love,
Thomas M. C.
Bass
The John Millns Chorale
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