Then & Now
These pictures were taken from the St Michael’s Church Centenary Magazine. Shown below are members of the church choir – from the 1930s and 1990s.
The Choir, way back in 1935.
A 1990 picture of the new Choir.
Anyone familiar in either of the groups? Perhaps some of you may know them; maybe there were/are some famous Ipoh-folks in the pictures?
The Chior in 1935 – I recognize Father Francois with his beard but could the other priest be Father Jean Ciatti. Father Ciatti spoke a Chinese dialect (it was probably Hakka) which still rings in my ears “sam yee chit, chit diam pan, motto sami sa”. This was usually at the end of the mass. I suppose it was to announce the events of the following week. It sounded funny and although I never really understood what it meant, it jingled and jangled in my head even 55 years on.
Interesting to see that girls had no place in the choir in 1935. Any theories why?
A potted history of Father Francois can be found at http://www.ipohworld.org/search8/result.asp?strid=3077
1990 Choir picture I recognize my piano teacher, Terezhina Gonzalves, who is also in the Main Convent Old Girls Assoc.
Sybill, that was certainly Hakka Father Ciatti was speaking. Chit diam pan is seven thirty.
Neither my sister nor I remembered any of his sermons(either we always never paid attention to sermons or maybe at that stage I was not married to a Frenchman and the sermon – in English – was probably delivered with a strong French accent which few perishioners could understand) but he is still in our hearts and minds with the Hakka he spoke. Hats off to Father Ciatti who spoke Hakka in the 50s when up to today, although I am supposedly Hakka, I don’t understand much.
The picture of the 1935 choir appeared in the 120th year anniversary publications of St Michael’s Church in 2010. There were at least 2 different publications featuring the picture. One was ST MICHAEL’S CHURCH, IPOH by Fr M Cheah and which gave a history of the church up till the latest renovations in 2009. The picture shows Fr Joseph Salvat Fourgs MEP, parish priest from 1929 to his passing away in 1937. It listed a number of assistant priests serving under him and Fr Ladislas P. Gelder MEP is mentioned as serving from 1934-1935. The second priest in the picture is probably him.
The picture also appeared in Parish of St Michael Ipoh, A LEAGACY OF 120 YEARS, which gave a history of the church and more details of the parish ministries and groups in the 120th year. However, the write up about Fr Fourgs is shorter.
The man with the big beard was Father Francois – a great freind of my parents pre-war. He used to import casks of wine from France and held a decantering party with his friends!