MADURAI: Christmas carol songs are usually sung in either English or Tamil languages in Tamil Nadu. But a church in Madurai had something special for this year’s Christmas festival. Yes. A French carol song was sung by the choir at CSI Transfiguration Church in K.K.Nagar in Madurai on the Christmas day.
“In most of the churches during Christmas special services, Tamil and English songs are sung. But, for the first time in Madurai in this church, the carol song in French was practiced and sing. It was a melodious song about the Christmas tree,” Mr.Milton Powers, professor of French and German, Centre for Foreign Languages, Fatima College in Madurai, has said on December 26th 2024.
He recalled the days when he was working in the French international institute Alliance Francaise in American College campus here where the students who were learning French had practiced French carols and sang beautifully during Christmas celebrations.
“Like that, in Fatima College the students sang German carols after learning and practicing the songs. Now for the first time we did it in church at K.K.Nagar in Madurai. It was well encouraged by the Church pastor Rev.Justin Sahayaraj and appreciated by Rev.Baninga Washburn who delivered the Christmas message. Singing carols in foreign languages will motivate the public to learn foreign languages. I always try to introduce something innovative wherever I go and whatever I do,” Mr.Milton Powers had explained by saying that the origin of most Christmas songs are from European countries and further adds… “let us learn the French songs to wish Happy Christmas and Happy New Year because the tune is same as in English.”
