Pondicherry based M.Samuel founder of Zion School of Music imparting training to music aspirants had won the prestigious shield of Lady Pap worth’s Lyre from The Trinity College of London. Trinity College of London instituted this shield in 1933 to performers who have mastered the art and put up outstanding performances. This shield will have their names engraved on this lyre and passed down through the years to all distinguished performers of all classical musical instruments. Since 1933 various artists throughout the world and 39 artists from India have been honored so far.

M.Samuel had been chosen for the year 2004. He had mastered western cultural music as disciple of Thangadurai Samuel and he can perform in violin and classical guitar. Having a Masters degree in English and Western classical and non classical music Thangadurai Samuel had groomed his disciple and the student had brought fame to his teacher by winning this shield for the year 2004

"Instruments almost identical to what we know as the "guitar" has been popular for at least 5,000 years. Yaazh of the Tamils is the oldest of such string instruments. Yaazhpanam, the current Tamil areas of Srilanka is a land where Yaazh originated. The "guitar" of the western world has derived from ancient mother instruments like Yaazh, which were invented in Srilanka, Iran, Central Asia etc. Earliest evidence of instruments very similar to the westernized guitar appear in ancient Susa carvings and statues recovered from the Iranian Plateau. Guitar is a combination of two words. "Guit", the Sanskrit word "Sangeeta" means "music." The second half of the word "tar" is purely Persian and means "chord" or "string." So the word "guitar" is half Indian and Iranian in origin, and so is the westernized guitar derived from ancestral instruments like Yaazh has Tamil origins. Through the passage of times the name moved into the English language and today the guitar is deemed to be western instrument. " said Dr.Ira.Thirumurugan, who had written the first ever Tamil Grammar on Sinthu Padalgal and a towering scholar of Isaithamizh.

The history of western music has many milestones and epochs. The invading hordes of Vandals, Huns, and Visigoths overran Europe and brought an end to the Roman Empire around 500 A.D. In the next ten centuries the newly emerging Christian Church dominated Europe and the destiny of music, art and literature. Pope Gregory I generally believed to have collected and codified the music known as Gregorian chant the approved music of the Church. Later the University at Notre Dame in Paris created a new kind of music called organum. Secular music was sung all over Europe by the troubadours and trouvères of France.

The Renaissance (ca.1420 to 1600) was a time of great cultural awakening and flowering of the arts, letters, and sciences throughout Europe. With the rise of humanism, sacred music began for the first time to break free of the confines of the Church, and a school of composers trained in the Netherlands mastered the art of polyphony in their settings of sacred music.

Then came the Baroque period (ca.1600 to 1750) wherein composers began to rebel against the styles that were prevalent during the High Renaissance. Many monarchies of Europe vied in outdoing each other in pride, pomp and pageantry and employed composers at their courts to churn out music. Composers of that time were able to break new musical ground in creating an entirely new style of music. It was during the early part of the seventeenth century that the genre of opera was first created by a group of composers in Florence, Italy, and the earliest operatic masterpieces were composed by Claudio Monteverdi. The instrumental concert became a staple of the Baroque era, and found its strongest exponent in the works of the Venetian composer Antonio Vivaldi. Harpsichord music achieved new heights due to the works of such masters as Domenico Scarlatti and others. Dances became formalized into instrumental suites and were composed by virtually all composers of the era. But vocal and choral music still reigned supreme during this age, and culminated in the operas and oratorios of German-born composer George Frideric Handel. So goes on the history of western musical history and the era of instrumental music.

In promoting the western classical and non- conventional music Trinity College of Music , London stands apart. It introduced the first graded music exams 125 years ago and continually developed syllabuses and a system of assessments which supports teaching and learning from the early stages right through to the profession. The Diplomas offered by Trinity College of Music London refines the 21st century musician carrying a wide range of talents. Trinity's revised and updated diploma suite rewards the abilities of these musicians helping to provide clear and logical career paths throughout the music sector. The diplomas recognize the contribution of all those in the professional music world, whether you are a violinist or tabla player, singer or session guitarist, teacher or composer.

Trinity has a long history of examining Music and Drama in India for over 100 years. The early examinations were held in Mumbai Chennai and Delhi but soon spread its wings to other cities. There is a long tradition of examinations at schools, convents and monasteries throughout India. The most popular examinations in Music in India are in Piano but increase in other subjects is visible. In recent years Electronic and Digital Keyboard have become popular. There is also a great demand for Trinity's written theory examinations in Music.

Trinity's higher level qualifications and examinations in music and music education developed over more than 120 years a commitment to conduct relevant and reliable assessments which enable candidates to show the best of what they can do in conditions which are supportive to their endeavors. There are three levels of diploma qualifications - Associate (ATCL), Licentiate (LTCL) and Fellowship (FTCL). Trinity diplomas are fully accredited in England, by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) and by the regulatory bodies in Wales and Northern Ireland. It is anticipated that Trinity's teaching diplomas at ATCL and LTCL level may provide steps towards Qualified Teacher Status. M.Samuel qualified himself to the Associate Trinity College of London diploma (ATCL) and won the shield. "Zion school of Music in Pondicherry trains students for these examinations and its services to the cause of music are laudable" opined Feminist writer Malathi Maitreyi. " The recognition for a Pondicherrian in the world of music brings cheers to our ears and his students can aim high taking this as impetus to improve their skills" said Dr.Arimalam Padmanaban of Pondicherry University.

[Courtesy : New Indian Express: 10 th September 2005]