3rd Annual Recital of De Operettas Music Institute Kohima held

Morung Express News
Kohima | October 16

Despite the many years of conflict in the state of Nagaland and so much negativity surrounding us, Avelü Rüho, Joint Secretary of School Education on Sunday urged that, “it is also important for us, Nagas to realise that there are good things that are happening in the society.” She was addressing the 3rd Annual Recital of the De Operettas Music Institute Kohima (DOMIK) held under the theme ‘A Musical Journey, through the ages’ at RCEMPA, Jotsoma on October 16, where she also remarked that, “We need to celebrate those things (good) more.”

Stating music can be used to bring people together and also bring peace and harmony in the land, she expressed that “music comes from God and it is only right that we use music to glorify and praise God.” She referred to the Psalms in the Bible that has full of verses, using music to praise God and further commented that, “Music has a way of expressing things that language cannot.”

“Only music can truly express what we feel in our hearts”, she added while putting across that it speaks the language of the soul. Further stating that everybody connects to music immediately, she called upon the gathering to also use music and their talents to glorify God, to bless, heal and bring people together.

She also cited an incident in Phek district that brought peace and understanding between two villages that were at feuding over a boundary dispute. She said that when there was potential of the situation getting ugly, two friends from the two villages had averted it through singing.

“One of the friends started to sing a folksong and the other joined”, she maintained.

Following the music, the two villages also realised that there are insignificant issues that separate them and “it is told that they did not fight that day and went back to their villages.” She further narrated how music also enabled a truce to happen between the British and German soldiers during 1914 when the World War 1 was raging in Europe, and the German and British soldiers were in the thick of snow, fighting over dominance and supremacy.

She said that it was the 24th of December when a German soldier in one of the trenches started to sing a carol in the silence of the night, and the English soldiers joined and how, without even talking to each other, a truce happened.

“Because of the music and the singing, they were able to come together. It is told that on the 24th and the 25th, not a single bullet fired,” she maintained while emphasizing that “that is what happens when there is music.” Reminding the gathering what music can do, she also affirmed that “if we are willing, we can use music to bring peace and harmony.”

In his Director’s Remark, Sürhüveyi Tetseo, Managing Director (DOMIK) said that there are currently 82 students enrolled in the school. “What they are today is important but what they will become five years from now will be amazing”, he also noted while highlighting that after the recital, they will be focussing on different music examinations. He stated hope that they can be the best capacity of who they are.

The Musical Journey featured the Medieval Era, Baroque Era, Classical Era, Romantic Era, 20th Century and Modern/Contemporary/New Age Music respectively. Earlier, Neizavilie Chalieu, Vice Principal, Asian Evangelical Bible Seminary said the invocation while Arensunep Lemtur said the benediction.