Let Us Mingle Together As a researcher, my mission and passion are to constantly search for authentic sources for information. It is a tedious, tiring, at times frustrating experience, and ongoing process. Yesterday in my WhatsApp groups, I shared a brief note about the most popular Konknni hymn “Søkkødd Sangata Mellyam” sung during the novenas and feast day of Mônti Fest, namely, the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lady in Coastal Karnataka and elsewhere too. Then in the evening, I started my quest to find more information about the origin of this hymn. These are my findings so far. 1. “Søkkødd Sangata Mellyam” is partly a translation and partly an adaptation done by an unidentified (to me till date) diocesan priest or a layperson of Mangaluru Diocese (earlier undivided Mangalore Diocese) who knew Konknni well and was a creative poet in early 20th century and not in the late 19th century as I mentioned in my WhatsApp note yesterday (29th September 2021). I say this based on the fact that the first Konknni hymnal in Konknni in Kannada script was called “A Hundred Konkani Hymns --- Xembor Konknni Køn'tigo'' (henceforth XKK). It was printed by the Jesuit priest Fr. Luigi Doneda sj, in 1890 at the Codialboil Press, Mangaluru. This press was started in 1882 by the Italian Jesuits after their arrival to Mangaluru in 1878. Fr Doneda was the manager of this press for 43 years. In 1924 this printing press was handed over to the Diocese of Mangalore. Now this press is run by the Diocese of Mangalore at Mary Hill, Konchady, Mangaluru in its new building since 1965. In the XKK hymnal there are 100 old Konknni hymns. A good number of them were taken by the Catholic Konknnis from Goa when they migrated to Coastal Karnataka. In it there are 13 hymns exclusively for the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lady and 35 other hymns of Our Lady. But in this list “Søkkødd Sangata Mellyam” is not to be found. This means the said hymn was not found in Konknni when XKK was printed. In 2016, the 21st edition of XKK was printed. In this edition the hymn is included. I do not know in which edition of XKK this hymn was first included. If we get this information, then more or less we know the year of its composition. 2. So far, I could not find out who composed the lyrics, music and the year of composition of the English hymn “Let Us Mingle Together”. It is found in the hymnal called “The Sodalist’s Hymnal” (pages 250-253) containing a collection of Catholic Hymns set to original and selected harmonized melodies. It was prepared and edited by Edwin F. MacGonigle in 1887 with the copyright of the book in Philadelphia, USA. From the style and theme of the hymn, it must have been composed by a priest or nun to be sung in the month of May dedicated to Our Lady. I have attached here the cover page and the lyrics with music notation. In this hymn there are 6 verses and one refrain (chorus). 3. The unknown lyricist who adapted “Søkkødd Sangata Mellyam” from the English hymn “Let Us Mingle Together” retained 6 verses and one refrain (chorus). He must have got this English hymn from the Jesuits. He must have done the adaptation only in the early 20th century. 4. Since “Let Us Mingle Together” hymn contains reference to “Bring choicest of flowers search the woodland and grove, wreath a crown for Our Lady as a pledge of our love”, an anonymous priest of Mangaluru Diocese in mid-20th century associated the Konknni version of it with the novenas and the feast of Mônti Fest, which they were celebrating much earlier. Since the theme was connected with flowers and Our Lady and the melody was quite simple and melodious, it must have spread to other parts of the diocese and to Coastal Karnataka. 5. Coastal Karnataka Catholic Konknnis went to Mumbai (earlier Bombay) for job opportunities in late 19th century and early 20th century. Since the majority were from the Mangalore Diocese, they were wrongly labelled as “Mangaloreans” to distinguish the Catholic Konknnis of Goa, who called themselves as “Goans”. Karnataka Catholic Konknnis at Mumbai saw the Catholic Konknnis of Goa do celebrate Mônti Fest with flowers (minus blessing of new corn in the church and having vegetarian meals). Since the Konknni dialects of these communities vary in vocabulary, at Mumbai, “Søkkødd Sangata Mellyam” hymn of Kannada script got a new title “Sogott Sangata Mell’ia” in Roman script changing a few words with the colloquial Bardes Konknni of Goa including faulty spelling and grammar! It too had 6 verses and one refrain. This hymn is found in the hymnal “Hosanna --- Sogllea Vorsac Upkarchim Concanim ani Latin Bhaxechim Gaianam”. The First Edition was printed on 31st October 1926 at Karachi, Pakistan. The Silver Jubilee Edition was printed on 28th October 1951 at Mumbai. Since I do not have the first edition of this hymnal, I cannot say whether “Sogott Sangata Mell'ia '' hymn is found in it or not. But it definitely is there in the 1951 edition. This hymn, blessing of new corn, and vegetarian meals became popular in Mumbai for Mônti Fest due to the leadership of Karnataka Konknni Catholics. Now in a number of parishes in Mumbai after the Mônti Fest (celebrated Sunday after 8th September) Mass, the newly blessed corns are distributed to all. Konknnis, East Indians and others attend the Mass and cultural events and vegetarian meal prepared by the Karnataka Catholic Konknnis. 6. From Mumbai “Sogott Sangata Mell’ia” reached Goa. Here the title was changed to “Sogllim sangata mell’-ia”, verses were reduced to four and a few words were changed. Here too crept in a colloquial word “mevtolim” instead of “melltolim”, spelling error ‘bhavtolim’ instead of bavtolim and grammatical errors like “mell-ia”, sor’-ia, kor’-ia, sôd-ia,… instead of “melliam, soriam, koriam, sôdiam”!!! Only 4 verses are found in the “Gaionancho Jhelo” of July 3, 1995 reprint. If I get further information on this hymn, I shall share it with others. Today is the first of the novena of Mônti Fest. May Mother Mary bless all of us.
Pratap Naik sj 30th August 2021