Prominent Figures of the Kerala Church-110 Jerry Amaldev

Prominent Figures of the Kerala Church-110
Jerry Amaldev
Jerry Amaldev, a prominent music director, was born on April 15, 1930, in Veliparambu, a village near Fort Kochi, as the son of Auso Vaidyar and Mary (a member of the Ernakulam Munjappally family). After completing his high school education at St. Albert’s School, Jerry pursued further studies at the Indore Holkar College in Madhya Pradesh, where he obtained his B.A. degree. To become a priest, he enrolled at the Papal Seminary in Pune, completing a B.Phil degree in Philosophy. He also studied Theology for two years at the same college.
From 1964 to 1969, he worked in Bombay with the renowned film music composer Naushad Ali, where he gained extensive training in music. Under Naushad’s guidance, he learned about studio recording techniques, handling and directing orchestras, preparing music notation in advance, managing frequency ranges in songs, teaching playback singers, and fine-tuning Urdu poetry and its intricacies. These experiences broadened his understanding of music and its technical aspects. A key lesson he learned was composing song lyrics systematically with the poet before creating a tune, a process which, in turn, contributed to the longevity of old songs.
In his pursuit of further knowledge, Jerry moved to America, where he earned a Bachelor of Music degree from Savior University in New Orleans in 1971. He then obtained a Master’s degree in Fine Arts in Music Composition and Musicology from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, in 1975. During this time, he studied subjects like Musical Theory, Music History, Orchestration, and Piano Recital, and completed his degree in just two years. Jerry also taught for two years at Corvell, one of the most prestigious universities in the U.S.
In 1980, Jerry returned to Kerala and married Jolly, a Botany graduate from M.S.C. The same year, he won the state award for his music direction in the movie Navodaya. Some of his notable songs include Manjinikkombil, Mizhiyoram, Aayirankannum, and Kanodu Kannoram. He won more awards, including the state award in 1985 for the film Aparahnam and another in 1990 for Kazhakkathin.
Jerry Amaldev also introduced electronic waves in music direction for church services. He worked for two decades, composing Christian and liturgical songs. He has composed music for over 70 films, with 35 being released, and several others gaining notable recognition.
His expertise extends to Gregorian chant and church music, and he is regarded as a profound expert in liturgical music. His ability to compose songs that everyone can sing is one of his most celebrated qualities. As a teacher, he has conducted over 400 choirs and has been a key music director for major events like The Singing Christmas Tree and The Singing Cross. Additionally, Jerry has directed numerous cassettes and produced works that have left an indelible mark in the music world.
He published a book titled Ragas for Piano in the U.S. and in 2004, presented a paper on Gregorian chant in Vienna. Jerry was also awarded the K.C.B.C. Award, and in his acceptance speech, he expressed concerns about the current trends in liturgical music. He emphasized that modern liturgical music should be in tune with the spiritual and cultural traditions, instead of being influenced by cinematic or popular music styles. He pointed out the need for preserving the sanctity and purity of church music and urged that the mistakes made in this regard should be corrected to maintain the traditional values of church music. His profound reflections on this subject remain relevant to this day.