Life & Style

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A decade-long study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, which studied around 35 million Americans in 10 states, has found that group A streptococcus infections have more than doubled in the state since 2022.
Group A streptococcus (GAS), best known as strep throat, is caused by bacteria called Streptococcus pyogenes. Also known as invasive strep, this bug can lead to necrotizing fasciitis, a flesh-eating disease and a toxic syndrome, a sepsis-like infection that can trigger organ failure.
“Invasive GAS cases from January 1, 2013, through December 31, 2022, were identified through active surveillance for invasive bacterial pathogens in 10 US states, covering 34 ,991,238 persons,” researchers detailed of the data gathered from California, Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, Oregon, New York, New Mexico Tennessee, Connecticut and Minnesota. The disease’s prevalence has doubled from 3.6 per 100,000 people to 28.2 per 100,000 people.
Thus, based on the 10-state sample, researchers believe they’d find even more overall cases and fatalities if the study had been conducted nationwide.

Who is more prone to be affected by GAS?

Image credits: iStock

Analysing the numbers, the scientists found that there was a sharp increase in cases in people who already had a medical condition, thus making them more vulnerable to skin infections, including those who had diabetes and obesity. There was also an increase among people who inject drugs and amongst people who are homeless, the infections rose almost tenfold.

What is invasive strep?

Invasive strep is a severely contagious disease that occurs when the bacteria Streptococcus pyogenes enters the body into the blood, lungs or deep tissues. It spreads through airborne droplets of an infected person when they cough, sneeze or talk. You can also catch it by touching surfaces such as doorknobs and elevator buttons and then touching your mouth or nose.

What are the symptoms of invasive strep?

Image credits: Getty Images

Early symptoms of the disease include fever, severe pain, swelling, redness, dizziness, low blood pressure and abdominal pain.

How to prevent invasive strep?

One of the most important methods of preventing invasive strep disease is to keep your hands clean. Wash them after touching common surfaces, before and after cooking and more. Additionally, if you develop any of the above symptoms, make sure to consult a physician as soon as possible.

‘Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine’ by Gail Honeyman

A novel that talks about loneliness, mental health, and growing through struggles, is this one. The main character, Eleanor, is a girl stuck in a personal loop, but when she meets Raymond and an elderly gentleman, life starts to change.

High blood pressure or hypertension affects millions worldwide and is a leading cause of heart disease and stroke. If left untreated, hypertension can put you at serious risk. As this condition has no signs or symptoms, one may not know they have it. This is also one of the reasons why health experts call it a ‘silent killer’. An estimated 46% of adults with hypertension are unaware that they have the condition, according to WHO. However, some people never have experienced high blood pressure, due to various reasons. Let’s take a look at what is high blood pressure, why some people never have it, and some science-backed tips to beat hypertension.
What is hypertension?

Hypertension (high blood pressure) is when the pressure in your blood vessels is too high (140/90 mmHg or higher). Normal blood pressure is less than 120/80 mm Hg. Your blood pressure varies throughout the day based on your activities. Hypertension is diagnosed when the blood pressure is consistently above normal.
High blood pressure happens when the force of blood pushing against your artery walls is consistently too high. This pressure damages your arteries over time and can lead to serious complications like heart attack and stroke. The higher the blood pressure, the higher your risk of serious health problems such as heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.
Why do some people never have high blood pressure?

Though hypertension is a common condition, some individuals never get it. High blood pressure is influenced by a complex interplay of certain factors. The factors include older age, genetics, being overweight or obese, physical inactivity, high-salt diet, and drinking too much alcohol among others.
People who have inherited traits that protect them against hypertension have lesser chances of developing it. Also, lifestyle choices drastically affect a person’s chance of developing hypertension.
How to prevent hypertension?

Hypertension is the key to deadly diseases, and hence keeping it in control is the best way to prevent serious illness. Here are some science-backed tips to prevent hypertension.
DASH diet
DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) is a balanced diet plan that can help you to create a ‘heart-healthy’ life. It was named the ‘Best Heart-Healthy Diet’ and ‘Best Diet for High Blood Pressure’ by the US. News & World Report in 2025. You do not have to incorporate special foods in this plan. Here the focus is instead on meeting daily and weekly nutritional goals. DASH plans include nutrient-dense meals around whole grains, vegetables, and fruits, and include fish, poultry, beans, nuts, and healthy oils. You also limit fatty meats, full-fat dairy, sugar-sweetened beverages, sweets, and sodium intake to keep the LDL aka bad cholesterol at bay.
Move for 30 minutes, three times a day
Physical activity will decrease your risk of getting hypertension. You can aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate aerobic activity on most days. Walking, cycling,or dancing can help. A 2024 study found that replacing any less active behavior with five minutes of exercise could lower systolic blood pressure by 0.68 points and diastolic blood pressure by 0.54 points. When exercise time was 15 minutes longer, the reduction was bigger. The more you move, the less your chances of hypertension.
Quit smoking and limit alcohol
CDC recommends quitting smoking, because smoking raises blood pressure, and also increases your risk of heart attack and stroke. Alcohol consumption is also linked to hypertension. “Men should have no more than 2 alcoholic drinks per day, and women should have no more than 1 alcoholic drink per day,” the agency recommends.

Maintain a healthy weight
Being overweight, or obese too accelerates your chances of high blood pressure. Maintaing an ideal weight can keep a lot of illness at bay, inclduing this condition. CDC recommends to talk to your health care team about the ways to reach a healthy weight, and choose healthy foods and get regular physical activity.

Cut back on sodium
Eating too much salty food can lead to hypertension. WHO recommends to stay under 2 grams per day. It is also important to look beyond table salt. Check labels on processed foods (e.g., canned soups, sauces, deli meats, snacks) where sodium hides. Eating home-cooked meals can be helpful.

In 2020, when the pandemic forced everyone to stay indoors, writer-director Muhsin Parari (a.k.a. Mu.Ri) was stuck at home, like everyone else. And the writer did not have a choice, when his eight-year-old son Ahmed demanded a bedtime story.  

By then, Muhsin had already written award-winning films such as Sudani from Nigeria and Virus. He began narrating a tale about an ant, a cuckoo, and a fish. The ant drifts on a leaf, the bird soars through the sky, and the fish glides along a stream that moves to its rhythm. Though each creature is aware of the others’ existence, none truly understands how the others live. This idea forms the basis of Muhsin’s latest song, ‘Areela’ (meaning don’t know), produced by DJ Sekhar and sung by veteran Malayalam actor Indrans. The track, released by Muhsin’s label The Writing Company, is the fourth song among a series of tracks called MuRiginals, referring to his collaborations with “like minded friends in the music scene”.

It is a story of how everyone co-exists, ignorant of one another’s experiences, or as Muhsin might say, “to overlook epistemological pluralism”. The 36-year-old writer, who has often stated that his songs contain a political subtext, adds, “We often lack clarity on how to co-exist, due to which our disagreements very quickly move to conflicts.” 

Muhsin Parari
| Photo Credit:
Habeel Ahmed

As his son drifted off to sleep, Muhsin put pen to paper and began scribbling whatever came to mind, gradually turning the tale into a track. “Once I’d finished writing, I reached out to Indransettan (Indrans) and told him to record it as though he were telling a children’s story,” he says. “Then I called Sekhu (DJ Sekhar) and sent the track over. We’ve worked on songs like this before—if you send him the lyrics, he just gets it. There’s no need for much briefing,” he adds.

The song gradually picks up tempo as the lyrics unfold, moving from one chapter to the next. Layer by layer, sounds are added, with the track ebbing and flowing through chaos, resulting in a trippy, immersive listening experience.

DJ Sekhar Menon
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

“Sekhu calls it ‘nonsensical wisdom’ whenever I send him scribbles like this,” says Muhsin, who previously collaborated with him on ‘KozhiPunk’, an adaptation of Malayalam poet K Satchidanandan’s poem of the same name.

Muhsin has worked with veteran actors in the past as well. One of his first independent music projects, ‘Native Bappa’ (2013), featured the late actor Mamukkoya alongside rapper Haris. In the song, directed by Muhsin, Mamukkoya portrayed a grieving father mourning the loss of his son, who had been wrongfully accused of terrorism. Muhsin reunited with Mamukkoya in 2016 for ‘Funeral of a Native Son’, a sequel to ‘Native Bappa’, written with Santhosh Varma and Haris Saleem as a tribute to Rohith Vemula, who died by suicide.

‘03:00 AM’, featuring Lukman Avaran, was voiced by actor Salim Kumar and produced by DJ Sekhar. Released in 2022, the track explores themes of alienation and a sense of drifting without direction.

“When working with artistes like Indransettan, Mamukkoya, or Salimettan (Salim Kumar), the advantage is that you only need to brief them once,” says Muhsin.

‘Areela’ was completed as early as 2020. “We had big plans, including a music video. But we held on to it for so long, we figured we might as well just release it now,” says Muhsin, who decided to take a break from writing film songs in December last year. “The workload had become too much. My goal has always been to write scripts and make films.

Muhsin made his directorial debut with KL 10 Patthu, starring Unni Mukundan, in 2015. Three years later, he won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Screenplay for Sudani from Nigeria. His most commercially successful outing came in 2022 with Thallumaala, for which he wrote the script and penned all the songs. Muhsin has also written lyrics for films such as Thamaasha (2019), Virus, Bheemante Vazhi (2021), among others.

He is currently working on his upcoming directorial venture, Thantha Vibe Hybrid, starring Tovino Thomas, and is also one of the writers on Madhu C Narayanan’s (director of Kumbalangi Nights) next project.

Areela can be listened to on all streaming platforms

As dusk sets over The Nilgiris, the river Moyar is bathed in a golden hue. Peacocks make loud, plaintive calls as they show off their beautiful plumage while grey langurs forage for berries. A stocky wild boar makes its presence felt briefly and the air is streaked with the loud calls of racket-tailed drongos and jungle mynahs. Tucked away amidst the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR), along the banks of the river, is the Theppakadu Elephant Camp, one of the oldest camps in Asia that dates back to the 1920s where as many as 27 elephants are rehabilitated. 

Training time at the camp
| Photo Credit:
SATHYAMOORTHY M

Visitors can observe elephants in their natural habitat, observe their behaviour, and activities like feeding and bathing under the supervision of trained mahouts.

“During the British times, elephants were captured from the forest, trained, and used for hauling timber logs,” says C Vidhya, Deputy Director of MTR (Core Area) adding that a paradigm shift in forest conservation turned such camps to rehabilitation centres for elephants captured from the forest due to conflicts, issues, or injuries.

Food blocks made with mashed horsegram, ragi, and rice. shot on oneplus #frames of India
| Photo Credit:
K Jeshi

Inside the camp, a bunch of mahouts and kavadis, who are caretakers of elephants, are mixing giant food blocks made of cooked horse-gram, white rice, and ragi, throwing in a dash of mineral mix and salt, all under the watchful eyes of Dr K Rajesh Kumar, the camp veterinarian. “An adult elephant in the wild grazes for 16 to 18 hours a day and consumes about 200 kilograms of greens. As camp elephants have bathing rituals, training etc, there is loss of grazing time. This supplement diet, fed every morning and evening, makes up for it,” he says, adding that the feeding time also enriches the bonding between mahouts and elephants. He arrives at the diet chart based on age, weight, and physiology status, which is reviewed every three months.

Training is a routine for camp elephants
| Photo Credit:
Sathyamoorthy M

It is the only camp where elephants are trained without using conventional tools like ankush ( a stick with a pointed hook). The tribal communities of Kaatunaickers, Kurumbas, and Malasars have been the caretakers for generations. C Mari, a mahout for three decades talks fondly of 65-year-old Kamatchi, captured from Pollachi. He has taken care of six elephants like Senthivadivdu, Cheran, and Bama over the years. “Like children, they will take feed only when hungry. They are also naughty and like to play in the mud. We use commands like baitu, uttu, oopar dekh, enicho, a smattering of Hindi and Malayalam, while training them. Nutritious food is the key to maintain the overall health of elephants, especially in the initial years till they reach 10 or 15.”

The camp’s feeding ritual is unique. A jumbo kitchen runs like clockwork through the day with giant cooking vessels churning food for the gentle giants.

Th elephants are taken for a luxurious bath at the crack of dawn. shot on oneplus #frames of India
| Photo Credit:
K Jeshi

“Horsegram, ragi and rice are cooked for hours and mashed before placing them in square moulds. The micronutrients are always a part of their diet, unless there is a special diet prescribed by the veterinarian, like including fruits or chickpeas,” explains the Deputy Director.

Sugarcane, coconut and jaggery are sweet treats for the elephants shot on oneplus #frames of India
| Photo Credit:
K Jeshi

The feeding routine also disciplines the mahouts and kavadis, she adds. It helps the veterinarian update any behavioural changes in elephants whether it is in musth (an aggressive state) period etc. “The sugarcane, coconut and jaggery are sweet treats at the end of the meal. They also like to have sugar in their diet,” adds Vidhya.

Mahouts and ‘kavadis’ mix the food for elephants. shot on oneplus #frames of India
| Photo Credit:
K Jeshi

The elephants in the camp are also used as kumkis to drive away wild elephants that enter human surroundings. “Most wild animals engage in ‘salt lick’ in the wild to get their dose of vitamins and minerals. We provide micro and macro vitamins and nutrients in the form of mineral mix. This gives a boost to their metabolism,” explains Rajesh as visitors begin to queue up.

A mahout rings the bell at 6pm signalling mealtime. The food blocks are hand-mixed and turned into giant-sized balls and served straight to the hungry elephants. M Megala, Forest Ranger for Theppakaadu Elephant Camp, says the elephants are taken for a luxurious bath at the crack of dawn, followed by a 30-minute training before arriving for the morning feed. M Maran from The Nilgiris, a retired mahout oversees the training. “I have worked here for 38 years. Once the rescued elephants are placed inside stalls, we offer sugarcane and nurture our bond. We teach a few commands, pat them and treat them with love. They reciprocate.”

Elephants are given supplement feed twice a day
| Photo Credit:
Sathyamoorthy M

While in Central India, camp elephants are fed jowar rotis, rice and grains cake is the norm here. “They graze seasonal fodder through the day. Male elephants like Santosh, and Bama, Kamatchi, Indra are out in the wild during nights as well. One of the elephants Murthy, believed to have killed 20 people, became the baby of the camp. So is Cherambadi Shankar captured from Gudalur that killed two people in a day. We have to bow to the caretakers. Such positive stories are heartening,” says Vidhya, adding, “What better way to understand that elephants and humans can co-exist harmoniously.”

Feeding time is 8.30am to 9am and 5.30pm to 6pm. Visit mudumalaitigerreserve.com

It is often said that we live in a strange world, where life seems stranger than fiction– and rightly so. In a bizarre new development, news is that Google is now paying its top techies to do absolutely nothing.
According to a recent report by Business Insider, Google is now putting some specific employees— mostly from its AI division DeepMind— on paid leaves. Yes, you read that right! The idea being that this will stop them from joining Google’s competitors.
The real-life golden cage
These employees are locked into contracts that prevent them from working elsewhere for months— even up to a year. It’s called a “noncompete agreement,” and it’s being used as a strategic move to block rival companies from getting access to top AI talent.
In some cases, employees are being placed on what’s called “garden leave,” especially in the UK. They’re still on the payroll, but they’re not allowed to contribute to any project— not even within Google. During this time, their only job is to simply sit and don’t work for anyone else.
Calling this out, Microsoft’s AI VP (and former DeepMind director) Nando de Freitas posted on social media: “Don’t sign these contracts. No American corporation should have that much power, especially in Europe. It’s abuse of power.”
Why Google’s doing this
It all comes down to staying ahead in the AI innovations race. With OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s own Gemini models pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, every day counts. And in such a competitive environment, falling behind– even by a few months– can mean losing out on market share, innovation, or even relevance.
So, Google is hedging its bets. By keeping talent on hold, they’re making sure no one else can use that brainpower to get ahead. It’s less about what those employees are doing now, and more about what competitors won’t be able to do.
“This really feels like a space race. Being six months ahead can change everything,” a former DeepMind researcher put it.
Is it justified?
But not all employees are okay with being sidelined. Some say it’s hurting their careers.
The backlash is especially strong in Europe, where noncompete clauses are under legal scrutiny. Critics argue that these agreements stunt innovation, limit career growth, and create a toxic hold over the industry’s brightest minds.
However, Google justified their move by calling it fair. “Our employment contracts are in line with market standards. Given the sensitive nature of our work, we use noncompetes selectively to protect our legitimate interests,” the company said.
What are your views on Google’s strange strategy to stay ahead in the AI race? Do you think it is right? What would you do if you are being paid to do nothing– would you take it up, or give up the offer? Tell us your views in the comments section below.

Maahi Gouthami 
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

For someone who began her television journey with a checklist, Maahi Gouthami is in a happy place. The past few months have been both hectic and fulfilling, as she was able to tick off the dates she had once promised her mother — proof that she could make a mark in the television industry. “It feels like an affirmation that I’m on the right path,” says the actor at the launch of the new serial Deergha Sumangali Bhava on Zee Telugu.

Challenging role

A scene from Deergha Sumangali Bhava
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

“I’m fortunate to portray diverse and challenging roles,” says Gouthami, who plays Ahalya — a tailor with a positive outlook on life, despite facing hardships. While on a spiritual yatra to Amarnath with her ailing grandmother, Ahalya falls in love with Indra (played by Pavan Ravindra), a soldier grappling with his own troubled past. The story unfolds with several twists and turns, as Ahalya finds herself torn between love, loss, and life-altering events. She stands at a crossroads — will she surrender to fate or find the strength to move forward?

While Gouthami, Pratap, and Pavan play the lead roles, the supporting cast includes Srilakshmi, Jackie, Asha Rani, and Sumith in key roles.

Television buff

With the Chiranjeevi Lakshmi Soubhagyavathi team on Zee Telugu
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Born and raised in Hyderabad, Gouthami, an engineering graduate, has enjoyed being in front of the camera since childhood. An avid television viewer, she was deeply influenced by her favourite Hindi serials Miley Jab Hum Tum and Phir Mil Gaye, and always hoped to make her mark as an actress on the small screen.

Though television was her first love, she began her career as a radio jockey under the name ‘Masti Maahi’, and later went on to work as a television anchor for two and a half years. Her acting break came in 2021 with Neevalle Neevalle on Star Maa, where she played the role of a police officer. “Although the show lasted only six months, it opened up a world of possibilities for me,” recalls Gouthami. She soon went on to play diverse roles in Agni Pariksha (Zee Telugu) and Rangula Ratnam (ETV).

She currently plays the lead in Chiranjeevi Lakshmi Soubhagyavati, which has completed over 700 episodes. As Lakshmi, a resilient businesswoman, she navigates difficult situations with strength and determination. “My character fights against all odds. Many women have told me they relate to Lakshmi and feel inspired by her tough spirit,” she shares.

Playing diverse roles
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Gouthami celebrates each of her roles and finds both responsibility and fulfilment in portraying them. “I feel inspired to take on challenging characters. Most of the time, I don’t even use glycerine — tears come naturally to me,” she says, reflecting on her emotionally intense performances.

As for her ultimate dream? “I grew up watching Hindi serials and was completely fascinated. One day, I hope to act in them too,” she smiles.

Dheerga Sumangali Bhava airs every Monday to Saturday at on Zee Telugu at 1 pm

Tea tree oil is well-known for its antibacterial and antifungal properties. While it doesn’t directly stimulate hair growth like rosemary or peppermint, it lays the foundation by keeping the scalp clean, healthy, and free from buildup.

Tea tree oil unclogs hair follicles and soothes inflamed scalp skin. It helps fight dandruff and other infections that can hinder hair growth.

Use in small amounts, just a drop or two diluted in a carrier oil. Avoid applying it directly to the scalp without dilution, as it can be too harsh.

It’s best for treating scalp conditions that may be stunting hair growth, like seborrheic dermatitis or dandruff.

Tips for using Essential Oils safely

Always dilute: Essential oils are potent and must be mixed with a carrier oil like almond, jojoba, or coconut oil to avoid irritation.

Be consistent: Hair growth takes time, so use essential oils 2–3 times per week for at least 2–3 months to see noticeable results.

Avoid overuse: More isn’t always better. Stick to 3–5 drops per tablespoon of carrier oil.

Essential oils offer a natural, cost-effective, and therapeutic approach to achieving longer, healthier hair. Whether you’re struggling with hair loss, thinning, or simply want to boost your hair’s vitality, integrating these five essential oils, rosemary, peppermint, lavender, cedarwood, and tea tree into your hair care routine can make a real difference. Not only do they support hair growth, but they also improve overall scalp health, making your hair stronger from root to tip.

Sunflower blooms at Ooranvila
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

How does a day spent around sunflowers and marigold blooms sound? Or a walk around a millet farm or angling for fish? Throw in a pet show and some healthy food. Interested? Then head to Ooranvila for an experience of all these and more.

The village, almost an hour’s drive from Thiruvananthapuram, is throwing open a 20-day festival for the public on April 10, celebrating the Vishu-Easter season. A farming collective in the village, Ooranvila Krishikoottam, with support from the Kulathoor Krishi Bhavan, has put together a millet festival, flower show, aqua show, fish spa, pet show, food stalls and cultural programmes spread over an area of 2.5 acres.

Leading the Krishikoottam are Siju MS, a conductor with Kerala State Road Transport Corporation, Parassala depot, and his childhood friend, Vinod V, who retired from the Indian Army. “There are seven of us in the Krishikoottam. All of us come from families that have an agricultural background,” says Siju.

Siju MS (left) and Vinod V at their farm
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

It started with the marigold cultivation they undertook during last Onam. They followed it up with growing sunflowers in December which made their farm a hit among visitors who came from far and wide.

Earlier this year they began cultivating different varieties of millets.

Vinod adds, “Now that the vacations are on we wanted to do something that would attract families and children. We knew that millet and flower farms alone would not bring in the crowds. That’s how we decided upon a festival that features a bunch of activities.”

Of the total 2.5 acres, the millet farm, spread on one acre, has eight types of millets — ragi, pearl millet (kambam), sorghum (manicholam), foxtail millet (thina), little millet (chama), barnyard millet (kuthiravali) and two types of corn, sweet corn and popcorn. Flowers are grown on rest of the property — sunflower, three types of marigold, dahlia, celetia, cock’s comb and vadamalli (bachelor’s button).

While Siju and Vinod take turns to take care of the farm, other members also chip in. “All members have jobs and they come to work in the farm whenever they are free,” he adds.

Plantain cultivation is predominant in Kulathoor. Among other crops grown here are paddy, tapioca, amaranthus and a few other vegetables.

“The Krishi Bhavan has been supporting the Ooranvila Krishikoottam in their farming endeavours. Through this festival we want to promote the health benefits of millet among the public. Since many people are still oblivious to this aspect there will be sessions on these,” says Sunil Kumar KM, agricultural assistant, Kulathoor Krishi Bhavan.

Siju MS (left) and Vinod V at their millet farm
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

An attraction at the festival would be a chance to use a hook and line to catch fish. “Pay ₹50 and try your luck. If you manage to capture any fish, you can take it home. Otherwise, the amount will be reimbursed,” Sunil adds. Siju mentions that he has been into biofloc fish farming for sometime and grows Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia (GIFT) and Pangasius fish (Assam vala).

Pets will also be showcased at the festival. Cultural programmes will be held in the evenings.

(From left) Siju MS, Sunil Kumar KM and Vinod V at the marigold farm at Ooranvila
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Vinod adds that millet-based products will be on sale. There will be a couple of millet cafes as well. “We plan to make this into a farm tourism destination in the days to come,” say Siju and Vinod.

The festival, which will conclude on April 30, will be inaugurated by Minister for Agriculture P Prasad on April 10 at 6pm. Entry fee is ₹50. Time: 9am to 9pm. Contact 9847784455, 8590176208

It’s not every evening that the vaulted interiors of the Museum Theatre hold within them the weight of an 18th-century European mass, performed in its entirety by a choir of voices and a young orchestra. This past weekend, the Madras Musical Association staged Johann Sebastian Bach’s Mass in B Minor,  not merely as a performance, but as a proposition.

What happens when a work written by a devout Lutheran in Leipzig in the 1740s and never performed in his lifetime as a whole finds its voice nearly 300 years later in a city shaped by altogether different rhythms and rituals? The answer unfolded unhurriedly across the evening as belief in music’s power to bridge distances.

The Mass in B Minor is not designed for easy consumption. There is no narrative, no visual cue, no dramatic arc — only the architecture of the Latin Mass: Kyrie eleison (Lord, have mercy), Credo in unum Deum (I believe in one God), Agnus Dei (Lamb of God), and so on. The phrases were unfamiliar for some, but  the MMA offered translations in the programme notes, and, more importantly, gave the music enough room to breathe its meanings into the room.

Augustine Paul wielding the baton

There was no rush, no attempt to dazzle with speed or scale. Conducted by Augustine Paul — who has led the MMA Choir since 2009 — the concert was attentive to the contours of the score, to the shifts between choral massiveness and solo intimacy, and to the acoustic possibilities of the hall itself. The Museum Theatre, with its stone walls and gently worn stage, held the sound carefully, letting the music rise and settle, rather than reverberate.

The MMA Choir, now in its 132nd year, includes singers from across ages and professions, some formally trained, many not. The orchestra  — largely composed of musicians under 25 — approached the score with the kind of directness that comes from being unburdened by performance history. Their focus was just on connection: to the music, to one another, and to the audience. Bach’s writing, which demands clarity of line and structure over flamboyance, benefitted from this unpretentious approach.

The Mass is an edifice. It was never intended for a single liturgical occasion — it’s more a summation of Bach’s sacred music than a service-ready work. 

The MMA Choir, now in its 132nd year, includes singers from across ages and professions, some formally trained, many not.

One of the most striking examples of this structure is in the Credo itself. At its heart lies a mirrored triptych: the Et incarnatus est (And was made flesh), followed by the Crucifixus (He was crucified), and then the Et resurrexit (And He rose again). The Crucifixus  —  sung in low, measured phrases, was particularly affecting, its descending lines seeming to fall through the space rather than move across it. The Et resurrexit followed with a gentle expansion, as if the light were returning one windowpane at a time.

In Chennai, far from the liturgical spaces Bach wrote for, that vision took on a different kind of urgency at the Museum Theatre. And yet, the work spoke. Many had never heard the Mass before. And still, they stayed with it.

For conductor Augustine Paul, the scale and complexity of the piece weren’t fully visible until he was deep in its preparation. “I had not done an in-depth analysis of the work before choosing to perform. I had tried out the choral parts before the pandemic with an ensemble. So, I had confidence that the choir could do it. Only when we decided to perform the Mass, did I start working on the full score. It was then that I really got to see the depth. Though the quality of the music is sure to impress the listener, the length was a bit of a concern from the viewpoint of the audience. But the applause and feedback at the end showed that people loved it.”

There’s something quietly radical about this too: an ensemble of amateurs mounting a performance of one of the most technically and spiritually demanding works in the choral canon, in a city where Western classical music is still a minority language. It wasn’t perfect, and it didn’t need to be. The power lay in the choice — to perform the whole, not just the familiar parts. To offer it live and not trimmed. To trust that the audience  would stay with the music’s long arcs.

There was no rush, no attempt to dazzle with speed or scale.

“Both the choir and orchestra coped with the technical demand very well. The orchestra managed five to six rehearsals, two with the choir, and the growth during that time was impressive. The real coming together happened just about two hours before the concert,” said Paul.

Perhaps, it’s this — the fragility of preparation and the impossibility of perfect control — that gave the evening its resonance. It reminded listeners that great music isn’t a fixed monument. It’s something you step into, with whatever resources you have, and build again from within. It’s a living structure, as vulnerable as it is vast.

Bach closes his Mass not with fanfare, but with a reprise: Dona nobis pacem (Grant us peace). In this performance, the movement was sung softly — almost privately — after more than ninety minutes of unfolding sound. That final chord did not feel like an ending, but like a breath held in the air, a note suspended.