Part I: Evelyn Glennie Listens to Sound Without Hearing It

Thinking about the Text

Answer these questions in a few words or a couple of sentences each.

Q1. How old was Evelyn when she went to the Royal Academy of Music?
Answer: Evelyn was a “slight girl, looking younger than her seventeen years” when she went to the Royal Academy of Music.

Q2. When was her deafness first noticed? When was it confirmed?
Answer: Her mother first noticed something was wrong when Evelyn was eight years old and didn’t respond when her name was called to play the piano4. Her deafness was confirmed by a specialist when she was eleven, after her marks had deteriorated and her headmistress urged her parents to take her to a specialist.

II.Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (30-40 words).

Q1. Who helped her to continue with music? What did he do and say?
Answer: The percussionist Ron Forbes helped her to continue with music6. He began by tuning two large drums to different notes and told her not to listen through her ears, but to try to sense the sound some other way7. This is how she learned to open her mind and body to sounds and vibrations.

Q2. Name the various places and causes for which Evelyn performs.
Answer: Evelyn gives regular concerts, and also gives free concerts in prisons and hospitals9. She also gives high priority to classes for young musicians, and is a shining inspiration for deaf children.

III. Answer the question in two or three paragraphs (100-150 words).

Q1. How does Evelyn hear music?
Answer: Evelyn Glennie hears music not through her ears, but through other parts of her body. She explains that music pours in through every part of her body and “tingles in the skin, my cheekbones and even in my hair”. When she plays the xylophone, she can sense the sound passing up the stick into her fingertips. By leaning against the drums, she can feel the resonances flowing into her body. On a wooden platform, she removes her shoes so that the vibrations pass through her bare feet and up her legs. This is how she feels the music more deeply than others and expresses it so beautifully.

Part II: The Shehnai of Bismillah Khan

Thinking about the Text

I.Tick the right answer.

II. Find the words in the text which show Ustad Bismillah Khan’s feelings about the items listed below. Then mark a tick (✓) in the correct column. Discuss your answers in class.

III. Answer these questions in 30-40 words.

Q1. Why did Aurangzeb ban the playing of the pungi?
Answer: Emperor Aurangzeb banned the playing of the pungi in the royal residence because it had a shrill and unpleasant sound.

Q2. How is a shehnai different from a pungi?
Answer: A shehnai is a natural hollow pipe that is longer and broader than a pungi. It has seven holes on its body, and when played, it produces soft and melodious sounds, unlike the shrill sound of the pungi.

Q3. Where was the shehnai played traditionally? How did Bismillah Khan change this?
Answer: Traditionally, the shehnai was played in temples and was an indispensable part of North Indian weddings. The credit for bringing this instrument onto the classical stage goes to Ustad Bismillah Khan, who was the first to perform it at the Red Fort on August 15,1947.

Q4. When and how did Bismillah Khan get his big break?
Answer: Bismillah Khan’s big break came with the opening of the All India Radio in Lucknow in 1938. He soon became an often-heard shehnai player on the radio.

Q5. Where did Bismillah Khan play the shehnai on 15 August 1947? Why was the event historic?
Answer: On 15 August 1947, Bismillah Khan played the shehnai from the Red Fort. The event was historic because he was the first Indian to greet the nation with his music on the occasion of India gaining independence.

Q6. Why did Bismillah Khan refuse to start a shehnai school in the U.S.A.?
Answer: Bismillah Khan refused to start a shehnai school in the U.S.A. because he was exceedingly fond of Benaras and Dumraon. He asked his student if he would be able to transport the holy River Ganga as well, showing his deep connection to his homeland.

Q7. Find at least two instances in the text which tell you that Bismillah Khan loves India and Benaras.
Answer: One instance is when Bismillah Khan refused to migrate to the U.S.A. because he felt a deep yearning to be in Hindustan and with the Ganga. Another instance is when he is described as a devout Muslim who could very naturally play the shehnai every morning at the Kashi Vishwanath temple, which highlights the rich cultural heritage of India.

Thinking about Language

I.Complete the following sentences. Beginning with a to-verb, try to answer the questions in brackets.

1. The school sports team hopes ……………………(What does it hope to do?)
2. We all want …………………………(What do we all want to do?)
3. They advised the hearing-impaired child’s mother……………… (What did they advise her to do?)
4. The authorities permitted us to permit us to ……………………………do?) (What did the authorities
5. A musician decided to………………………….. to do?

Answer:

 1.The school sports team hopes to win the match.

2.We all want to get good marks.

3.They advised the hearing-impaired child’s mother to take her to a specialist.

4.The authorities permitted us to use the staircase.

5.A musician decided to make music his life.

II.From the text on Bismillah Khan, find the words and phrases that match these definitions and write them down. The number of the paragraph where you will find the words/phrases has been given for you in brackets.

1. the home of royal people (1) ………………………………
2. the state of being alone (5) ………………………………
3. a part which is absolutely necessary (2) ………………………………
4. to do something not done before (5) ………………………………
5. without much effort (13) → effortlessly
6. quickly and in large quantities (9) ………………………………

Answer:

1. the home of royal people (1) royal residence
2. the state of being alone (5) solitude
3. a part which is absolutely necessary (2) indispensable
4. to do something not done before (5) invent
5. without much effort (13) effortlessly
6. quickly and in large quantities (9) came thick and fast

III. Tick the right answer.

1. When something is revived, it (remains dead/lives again).
2. When a government bans something, it wants it (stopped/started).
3. When something is considered auspicious, (welcome it/avoid it).
4. When we take to something, we find it (boring/interesting).
5. When you appreciate something, you (find it good and useful/find it of no use).
6. When you replicate something, you do it (for the first time/for the second time).
7. When we come to terms with something, it is (still upsetting/no longer upsetting).

Answer:

1. When something is revived, it (lives again).
2. When a government bans something, it wants it (stopped).
3. When something is considered auspicious, (welcome it).
4. When we take to something, we find it (interesting).
5. When you appreciate something, you (find it good and useful).
6. When you replicate something, you do it (for the second time).
7. When we come to terms with something, it is (no longer upsetting).

IV. Dictionary work

• The sound of the shehnai is auspicious.
• The auspicious sound of the shehnai is usually heard at marriages.

The adjective auspicious can occur after the verb be as in the first sentence, or before a noun as in the second. But there are some adjectives which can be used after the verb be and not before a noun. For example:

• Ustad Faiyaz Khan was overjoyed.

We cannot say: *the overjoyed man.

Look at these entries from the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (2005).

Consult your dictionary and complete the following table. The first one has been done for you.

Use these words in phrases or sentences of your own.

• Indispensable: A good compass is an indispensable tool for hiking.
• Impressed: The judges were impressed by his performance.
• Afraid: He was afraid of the dark.
• Outdoor: We are going to have an outdoor
• Paternal: His paternal grandparents live in another city.
• Countless: There are countless stars in the sky.
• Priceless: The old painting was a priceless family heirloom.

Speaking

Q1. Imagine the famous singer Kishori Amonkar is going to visit your school. You have been asked to introduce her to the audience before her performance. How would you introduce her?

Here is some information about Kishori Amonkar you can find on the internet. Read the passage and make notes of the main points about:

• her parentage
• the school of music she belongs to
• her achievements
• her inspiration • awards

Padma Bhushan recipient Kishori Amonkar, widely considered the finest female vocalist of her generation, was bom in 1931. She is the daughter of another great artist, Smt. Mogubai Kurdikar. In her early years she absorbed the approach and repertoire of her distinguished mother’s teacher Ustad Alladiya Khan. As her own style developed, she moved away from Alladiya Khan’s ‘Jaipur-Atrauli Gharana’s style in some respects. As a mature artist her approach is usually regarded as an individual, if not unique, variant of the Jaipur model.

Kishori Amonkar is a thinker. She is besotted by what she calls the mysterious world of her raagas. She dissects them with the precision of a perfectionist, almost like a scientist, until the most subtle of shades and emotions emerge and re-emerge.

She is very much inspired by the teachings of the ancient Vedic sages, written at a time when vocal music was highly devotional in character.

This soul-searching quality of her music, coupled with a very intellectual approach to raaga performance has gained her quite a following in India and has helped to revive the study of khayal.

Significant awards bestowed on this artist include the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1985), the Padma Bhushan (1987), and the highly coveted Sangeet Samradhini Award (considered one of the most prestigious awards in Indian Classical Music) in 1997.

Answer:

Good morning, everyone. It is my immense honor and privilege to introduce to you a true maestro of Indian Classical Music, Smt. Kishori Amonkar. Born in 1931, she is widely considered one of the finest female vocalists of her generation. She belongs to the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana style of music and has developed her own unique approach, inspired by the teachings of ancient Vedic sages. A true thinker and perfectionist, she dissects her raagas with the precision of a scientist. Her soul-searching music has gained her many followers and helped revive the study of khayal. Her remarkable achievements have been recognized with numerous awards, including the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, the Padma Bhushan, and the highly coveted Sangeet Samradhini Award. Please join me in extending a warm welcome to the one and only Kishori Amonkar.

Writing

“If you work hard and know where you’re going, you’ll get there,” says Evelyn Glennie. You have now read about two musicians, Evelyn Glennie and Ustad Bismillah Khan. Do you think that they both worked hard? Where did they want to ‘go’?

Answer:

Both Evelyn Glennie and Ustad Bismillah Khan believed in the power of hard work to achieve their goals. Evelyn Glennie’s life is a testament to this belief. Despite being profoundly deaf, she was determined to lead a normal life and pursue her interest in music. She worked tirelessly, learning to sense sounds and vibrations through her body. She auditioned for the Royal Academy of Music and scored one of the highest marks in its history, and never looked back from that point. Her goal was to become a successful musician, and she achieved it by becoming the world’s most sought-after multi-percussionist.

Similarly, Ustad Bismillah Khan was a dedicated artist who took to music early in life. He would sit for hours captivated by his uncle’s shehnai practice and would spend his days practicing in solitude by the banks of the Ganga. The flowing waters of the river inspired him to improvise and invent new raagas. His goal was to bring the shehnai, an instrument traditionally used only for weddings and temples, onto the classical stage. Through his hard work, he not only achieved this but also became a national icon, earning India’s highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna. Both musicians exemplify that with hard work and a clear goal, success is inevitable.