How conductor and teacher Augustine Paul shaped Chennai’s choral tradition

Augustine Paul’s presence in Chennai’s Western classical music circles, has long been less an event and more a constant. His name appears in choir lists, concert brochures and music conversations with equal familiarity, carried across generations of singers who learnt their first scales, first blends and first rehearsal discipline under his direction. He was recently honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award and the RSL Fellowship (Rock School of Music Fellowship).

“It is encouraging when awards come for Western Classical music in India, where not many follow and practise it. I hope these awards will inspire me to create more music. The awards will also encourage my fellow musicians to strive for greater heights,” says Augustine, the music director of the Madras Musical Association Choir,^{which was founded in 1893.}

Augustine’s music journey began with the Palayamkottai Cathedral choir. He then joined a teenage rock band, driven by his curiosity for instruments ranging from the organ and violin to the mandolin and guitar. Music, at that stage, was less a path than an environment. Moving to Chennai brought a different kind of listening — structured choral singing, regular rehearsals and exposure to disciplined ensemble sound — that gradually shaped his instincts.

Working with the Emmanuel Methodist Church choir and the Male Voice Ensemble deepened his interest in arrangement. Studio sessions, with professional musicians, added technical experience, while singing with groups such as the Minstrels, Madrigals and Camerata introduced him to early music traditions and ensemble precision. These years eventually led him to the formation of The Octet Cantabile in 1994. Then came ‘The Chromatics’, with its focus on opera repertoire, and Augustine’s long stewardship of the Madras Musical Association choir.

For nearly two decades, however, music ran parallelly to a bank job. “I think it was divine providence that I chose music as a career. I enjoyed teaching and performing. I was fortunate to have talented and hard working students and dedicated musicians to sing with. I also got to conduct and lead musically rich choirs,” shares Augustine.

Teaching became central to his work. Many of Chennai’s younger conductors count him among their mentors, but he resists the language of legacy. Instead, he speaks of responsibility. “Respecting your students, giving them space and encouraging them along the way make a good teacher. Taking pride in one’s students’ success is a good sign,” he adds.

Augustine Paul at his Aspire Music Conservatory in Chennai.
| Photo Credit:
B. Velankanni Raj

Watching his students chart their own paths has been a constant in his career. Some moved into film and theatre music, others into performance or pedagogy. “It’s a question of adaptation. I teach music and they choose their own careers. But when there are musicians with sound musical knowledge, there will be good music too. It gives me immense joy when they remain in music and put what they have learnt into practice. Some acknowledge their teachers in public, when they achieve big. Some keep it in their heart.”

If teaching shaped one half of his life, ensemble building shaped the other. “Choirs and ensembles are two different things. Success of a choir depends on many things such as administration, choice of repertoire, rehearsals, having a set of good musicians constantly for years and to an extent your own disposition and musicianship. Any choir will have to face the issue of a floating population. One should not complain about people moving out as long as there new ones joining. But working with an ensemble involves more responsibilities. As a leader, you have to win the confidence and respect of all members of the ensemble and strive to keep the group together. People skills are needed as much as musicianship to get the group to work together. You need a strong mind to take the highs and lows of an ensemble,” explains Augustine.

International tours with the MMA Choir have placed Indian singers alongside large festival choirs abroad. “There are two kinds of international concerts — one for audiences of Indian origin and the other for native audiences in different countries. At music festivals, we often become part of large choirs of 300 to 400 voices drawn from across the globe. It’s easier to connect with NRIs because we share a common cultural base. But when we performed with European choirs, they responded warmly and admired our strength in Western music, even though it is not native to us. We have performed many standard classical repertoires abroad and have been warmly applauded by international audiences.”

Augustine Paul with ‘Chromatics’ ensemble
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Chennai’s Western choral tradition forms the backdrop to much of Augustine’s work. He points out that the city’s engagement with Western classical music stretches back over a century. According to him, Western music has been present in Chennai for at least 150 years. “The number of choirs, within churches and outside, that function throughout the year represents a tradition that has few equals in the country.”

One of Augustine’s more quietly influential interventions has been the harmonisation of Tamil Christian keerthanais. “I come from a church tradition where hymns are sung in harmony, while keerthanais are traditionally not sung that way. But when I tried presenting a medley of keerthanais at the first Octet concert, we received rave reviews.” Audience appreciation prompted the release of two CDs of keerthanais. It also encouraged him to explore new works such as Bilahari, Vande Mataram, Jana Gana Mana and, more recently, Dingiri Dingale, arranged for symphony orchestras.

The experiments were driven not by manifesto but by listening. “The colour that emerges from Indian melodies combined with Western harmonies is unique,” he says. Today, vernacular gospel songs rendered in harmony are commonplace across Tamil Nadu and Kerala. “Every gospel choir and ensemble now sings in harmony. They may not even realise that what they are doing is a fusion of Indian tunes and Western harmony.” What once seemed experimental has, quietly, become the norm.

Augustine’s progression from singer to conductor also informs his philosophy. Having spent three decades within choirs, before standing in front of them, he emphasises rehearsal technique and shared ownership. A mentor, he believes, must not feel threatened by younger talent. Security enables generosity. When asked what endures after decades of work, his response: “Be true to yourself. Keep learning new skills and work hard. The world can go on without you, so do your best while you have the chance,” he says.

Easter special

Augustine Paul’s upcoming concerts include the presentation of Messa di Gloria and Easter repertoire at TELC Arulnathar Lutheran Church, Kilpuak, Chennai — continuing a performance cycle that reflects both tradition and continuity in the city’s Western classical calendar.

Published – April 01, 2026 04:26 pm IST