August | 2025 | postcodegeorgetown

A photo of the Assumption Church taken on a cloudy day . Transformed into an image on canvas with digitally-generated cotton representing the clouds based on actual photographs (courtesy image: Leonard Selva Gurunathan)

Nestled within the UNESCO World Heritage core zone of George Town, Penang, the Church of the Assumption stands as a testament to the island’s rich history and cultural tapestry.

Established in 1787, this historic Roman Catholic church has long been a spiritual and community cornerstone, seamlessly blending tradition with modernity.

Among its treasured heritage is its magnificent pipe organ, fondly known as ‘The Old Lady’ – a majestic instrument that has echoed through generations, accompanying countless masses, religious ceremonies, and musical celebrations, and holds the distinction of being Malaysia’s oldest pipe organ.

Recently, a passionate pipe organist and music enthusiast – Leonard Selva Gurunathan – embarked on an innovative project to trace and showcase the church’s musical roots.

Leveraging the power of artificial intelligence (AI) and a suite of cutting-edge tech tools with good old-fashioned research, he has crafted a compelling video narrative that highlights the journey of the pipe organ and its profound role in the life of the church.

The project began with meticulous research into the church’s history, archives, and the evolution of its musical traditions.

A digital image of the Assumption pipe organ transformed into a diorama setting by Leonard Selva Gurunathan

“ The visual part of the video was done with the use of AI, “said Leonard, “while the rest of it was based on old-school research methods which included going through newspaper archives as I typed the information I needed into the prompts,” he added.

The audio component of the video is based on a live recording put together by Leonard.

“I curated the story,” he notes, “based on the duration of the music.”

To visualize the church’s and pipe organ’s rich history, Leonard employed AI-powered video editing and animation software. These tools transformed static images and archival footage into dynamic visuals, illustrating the organ’s physical changes, restorations, and its integration into the church’s liturgical life over the years.

The entire production has served as a testament to how technology can serve as a bridge—connecting heritage, faith, and innovation.

The resulting video not only celebrates the Church of the Assumption’s storied past, but also highlights the enduring significance of its pipe organ as an instrument of worship and cultural identity.

It underscores how the organ has witnessed generations of worshippers and has become an integral part of the church’s spiritual and community life.

This project exemplifies how modern tools can be harnessed to preserve, interpret, and share heritage in compelling ways. It also emphasizes the importance of safeguarding such cultural treasures within UNESCO’s protected zones, ensuring that future generations continue to appreciate the rich tapestry of history, faith, and music.

As the Church of the Assumption continues to serve its community within the vibrant streets of George Town, its story—enhanced by AI, technology and old-school research methods – reminds us that tradition and innovation can go hand in hand.

By blending historical preservation with modern storytelling, Leonard’s creative endeavour invites us all to reflect on the enduring power of music, faith, and heritage in shaping our collective identity.

The Assumption Church building photographed by Leonard Selva Gurunathan is transformed into a diorama using natural materials

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The Jubilee Concert at the Church of the Assumption (courtesy image – Boon Tiong)

Two Saturdays ago, the Church of the Assumption in Penang became a living instrument for a concert that stitched tradition, youth, and reverent sound into one unforgettable evening.

The church was welcoming, with the soft rustle of pews, as Saint Xavier’s Institution Corps of Pipes and Drums took the “stage”, their drums beating in confident, marching heartbeats and the pipes lifting like clear, silver voices. The opening procession felt less like a performance and more like a rite of passage—bold, bright, and glinting with pride.

The choir followed with a range soars-high and whispers-soft, a bright thread weaving through the nave. Their blend was lush yet precise, each phrase carried by a spine of harmony that filled every corner of the church. It’s a rare gift to hear a room feel both intimate and exultant at once, and that night, the choir’s voices did that subtle magic, lifting without ever shouting. Choir master Claude Richards’ baton moved with equal parts discipline and warmth, drawing clean lines and then dissolving them into shimmering colour, as if pulling rainbows through the arched ceiling.

Assumption Church Choir with His Eminence Sebastian Cardinal Francis, Bishop of Penang (courtesy image – Boon Tiong)

Between addresses and pieces, the “Old Lady”—the heritage church’s pipe organ—held court with patient majesty.

Resident organist Leonard Selva Gurunathan and neighbouring St George’s Church pipe organist, Matthew Arwinraj, took turns to coax “conversations” which began with a whispered echo and blossomed into grand, cathedral-scale statements.

Pedals clicked like distant thunder, and the tonal palette—great, flute, principal—poured through the nave with a timber that felt both ancient and newly-minted for the moment. If the pipes are the church’s memory, the Old Lady spoke it aloud: a history lesson told in luminous chords, each note lingering in the vaults long after it was spoken.

The ripple of the Corps of Pipes and Drums kept the energy alive even as the choir’s velvet harmonies settled the room into hushes of awe. When the final chord faded, the silence stretched, a shared breath between performers and listeners, before breaking into sustained applause that seemed to say, “Thank you for listening as deeply as you were listened to.”

Leaving the church, the night felt lighter, as if the walls themselves still hummed with the collaboration of youth, faith, and music. It was more than a concert; it was a celebration of community, tradition, and sound that lingers in the heart long after the bells have faded.

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Monthly Archives: August 2025

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Mainly tales from Penang