CANON ROY HENRY BOWYER-YIN MA(Cantab): By Menaka Ashi Fernando

Canon Roy Henry Bowyer-Yin

It was in December 1946 that the legendary Roy Henry Bowyer-Yin first strode into the portals of S’ Thomas College Mount Lavinia. What was to be a mere six-month stint went on to become a significant 16 year alliance between Bowyer-Yin and his School by the Sea.

An artist’s impression of S. Thomas College Mount Lavinia

The story goes on to say that Rev A J Foster who was on leave in England, had his leave extended due to the unfinished fragments of WWII. It was during this period that the Board of Governors of S Thomas College approached Bowyer-Yin requesting him to fill in as Chaplain during Foster’s absence. Yin’s desire to travel, mingled with his missionary zeal prompted him to accede to the request.

When Foster returned, Dr R L Hayman our Sub-warden at the time came up with a proposal to incorporate STC Gurutalawa with Mount. To this end, Hayman was appointed headmaster and Foster as chaplain at Gurutalawa, thus creating a vacancy for the position of Chaplain at Mount Lavinia. Under the circumstances Yin continued his position as Chaplain Mount.

S. Thomas College Gurutalawa [Photo courtesy: udithawijesena.blogspot.sg]

Early Childhood

Roy Henry Bowyer-Yin was born in Singapore on 7 October 1910 to Dr. Yin Suat Chwan and Lydia Florence Bowyer. His father Yin Suat was one of the highly respected and eminent surgeons and a most outstanding intellectual of his time who claimed lineage to the emperors of the Shang Dynasty. His mother, Lydia Bowyer, came from a modest background and the British community overseas did not readily accept her union with the Chinese doctor.

Obituary notice of Dr Yin Suat Chwan [Pic courtesy: Prof HD Wickramatillake]

Yin had an older brother born Leslie Charles Bowyer Yin in Singapore on May 12, 1907. Leslie legally changed his name by deed-poll to Leslie Charteris in 1926. He distinguished himself, not as a clergyman, mathematician or academic scholar, but as a writer. Leslie became world famous crime fiction writer and creator of the “Saint” character. The entire series of “The Saint” was donated to the College Library by Bowyer-Yin.

Leslie Charles Bowyer-Yin. Elder brother of Roy Henry. [Pic courtesy: mixedmartialarts.com] https://youtu.be/Zg5I5sq2RLw

Samples of the ‘SAINT’ series books donated to the College library [Pics courtesy: Google images]

The marriage of Yin’s parents was doomed from the start. Mrs. Bowyer did not comfortably adjust to the Chinese way of life. She resented her two boys, Roy and Leslie, being involved in the Chinese community, and there were many disagreements and rows in the family. Eventually, after four years in Singapore, in 1919 Mrs. Bowyer brought the two boys back to England and placed them in a preparatory school in Surrey.

Education

Yin attended a preparatory school in Surrey from where he received a scholarship to Marlborough College, Wiltshire, in 1924. Throughout his days in Marlborough he established himself as a competent pianist and organist and acquired his great love of church music. In 1929 he followed his elder brother, Leslie, to King’s College, Cambridge where he established himself as a fine scholar. Yin studied mathematics in his first year and changed to Law in this second year. He subsequently dropped law and took up History when he decided to become a priest and finally graduated in 1932 with an honours degree in the subject.

Marlborough College Wiltshire 2002 [Pic courtesy: Ashi Fernando]

Kings College Cambridge [Pic courtesy: Prof HD Wickramatillake]

Young Roy Henry during his Kings College days [Pic courtesy: Kings College website]

Ordination as a Priest

During his days as an undergraduate, Yin was an atheist. In his second year he spent much of his time contemplating on religion. He gradually inclined towards the Anglo-Catholic way of life. He then decided to join the Christian priesthood. He attended the Ripon Theological College Cuddesdon, just outside Oxford and on October 8th 1933- a day after his 23rd birthday Yin was ordained a Deacon. It was the first ordination to be held at the Kings College Cambridge chapel and Yin became the youngest Chaplain to assume duties here.

Ripon Theological College [Pic courtesy: Pete Bromage]

Passion for Choral Music

During his tenure at Kings College, Yin’s association with Boris Ord, the greatest choir masters at the time immensely influenced his English choral traditions. The Dean of the chapel at the time was Eric Milner-White, the creator of the famous Christmas Festival of Nine Lessons and Carol service. Thus under the guidance of Milner-White and Boris Ord Yin began choir training. At the end of his tenure at Kings, Yin took his passion for music and transferred to Hurstpierpoint College Sussex, where he spent eight blissful years teaching mathematics in addition to his duties as Chaplain from 1937 to 1945.

Boris Ord. [Pic courtesy: Antony Barrington Brown]

Record cover of the ‘Festival of Lessons & Carols of Kings College. [Pic courtesy: Google images

Eric Milner-White 1884–1963. [Pic courtesy: edmundburkeinstitute.ie]

End of term Hymn

During his time at Hurstpierpoint College, Yin brought in a young student, Meredith Davies as the organist. Together they wrote a new melody for the hymn ‘Lord Thou hast brought us to our journey’s end’ written by C A Alington, the Headmaster of Eton College, Windsor (1872–1955). Yin renamed the tune as ‘Hurstpierpoint’ which became the traditional end of term hymn of S. Thomas College.

Hurstpierpoint Chapel [Pic courtesy: Prof HD Wickramatillake]

The famous end of term hymn of S. Thomas College composed by CA Alington. [Courtesy: Chrys Mendis]

Cyril Argentine Alington. Headmaster of Eton College Windsor. [Pic courtesy: edmundburkeinstitute.ie]

The Thomian Choir

Yin’s first objective at S. Thomas ‘ College was to create a fine choir. He soon recruited and formed a nucleus of choristers and trained them in the Kings College genre. After a year of rigorous training, the college choir flourished and the musical reputation of the school soared.

The Thomian choir [Pic courtesy: The Review STC magazine]

He introduced the well-known annual festival of Nine Lessons and Carols and had the first Kings College style service at S. Thomas College on December 7, 1947 after the end of World War II. Thereafter the service became an annual feature of the school calendar during the festive period. The popularity of this service soon overwhelmed the chapel and speakers had to be placed outside the church to broadcast the event to the masses.

As a choirmaster and a wonderful organist, Yin emphasized the importance of sight singing musical scores. The hymns he chose were sound in theology, language and music and always thoroughly rehearsed. Once the college choir was firmly established, he found sufficient adult singers in the community to form a Madrigal Group.

He produced Purcell’s ‘Dido and Aeneas’ the ‘The Three Kings’ by Peter Cornelius, Herbert Howell’s ‘A Spotless Rose’, Felix Mendelssohn’s ‘Hear my Prayer’, Samuel Wesley’s ‘The Wilderness’ and Benjamin Britten’s ‘Hymn to the Virgin’ and many other carols into the Christmas Service. He had the initial public performance by the Thomian Choir at the Lionel Wendt Theatre in 1955.

The Chapel of the Transfiguration

Yin was also responsible for initiating and approving the awe-inspiring mural at the chapel of Christ’s Transfiguration, which was realized by Sri Lankan artist David Paynter in 1967. Dear to the hearts of all Thomians of diverse faith, the Chapel continues to serve as a reminder to us of our heritage. Although the Chapel was built in 1933, Yin discussed with Paynter and changed the back wall of the apse behind the Holy Table with tinsel stars at the top for a fresco of the Transfiguration. Some students believe that slyly but quite rightly the artist had depicted Yin’s face on the face of Christ. Yin wrote “My hope and prayer is that those who come after me, may, with God’s help, build and improve upon what, I under God, endeavoured at the Chapel of the Transfiguration, S.Thomas’ College, Mt. Lavinia.”

The old S. Thomas Chapel before Paynter’s mural. [Pic courtesy: Prof HD Wickramatillake]

S. Thomas Chapel of the Transfiguration [Pic courtesy: Dr Shehan Silva]

The Change Agent

Yin revived the Drama Society by producing Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar played in contemporary dress and modern name ‘A study of dictatorship’. This was in 1950. This attempt influenced generations of Thomian actors. Yin produced S.Thomas’ most famous prop, ‘the semi-circular steps’ which has been used in countless Thomian productions in the past years.

Being a talented pianist and an authority on J.S Bach Yin is credited with composing the song “The School by the Sea”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNZbEtCGiHQ

One day Yin convinced Warden De Saram to change the century old way of writing ‘St. Thomas’ College’ to ‘S.Thomas’. He proposed that we use the proper old English format to drop the simple‘t’ in ‘St’ when followed by a capital ‘T’

Also, following the tragic death of a young Thomian school boy, Yin brought a welcome change in the memorial service that followed, making it a triumphant proclamation of Christian belief; yet comforting the boy’s parents and helping them handle their grief graciously. In appreciation they donated a beautiful Ambry to house the Blessed Sacrament for the sick.

The Random Taskmaster

A Mathematics tutor par excellence, Yin’s teaching produced 96% success rate of students sitting the University Entrance Exam for positions as Engineering undergraduates. The balance 4% who could not get in to the Engineering Faculty was nevertheless qualified to enter other faculties. There were no failures in Yin’s class. “The syllabus is only a scrap of paper. You learn Maths not because it is useful but because it is beautiful.” He often reiterated.

As a Divinity Master, he always set the background during Confirmation classes, where students were free to question on conventional ideas.

An exemplary Priest and Preacher, Yin arrived at the Chapel every morning at precisely 0600 hours to start Matins (-structured Morning Prayer). He was joined by Warden De Saram, Fr. Barnabas, later Fr. Baldwin Daniel and other clergy. When the bell was tolled (-a compulsory requirement in the Prayer Book) morning prayers were followed by the Daily Eucharist. Yin meticulously planned worship services/liturgy (which in origins in Greek meant public works) and his sermons were models of lucidity, brevity and completeness. A stickler for punctuality and discipline, Yin never did anything in half-measure.

Canon Roy Bowyer-Yin with Rev Baldwin Daniel in Singapore 2006. [Pic courtesy: Chrys Mendis]

The Multifaceted Entertainer

It was a known fact that a chorister would never be excused for missing choir practice and Yin would severely castigate such persons. However it was different when it came to Rugby. Yin loved the game. Thus anybody who missed choir practice for Rugby was excused! He was a familiar sight on the field, running along the touchlines in his cassock cheering the college team during Rugby matches!

Yin’s students have nostalgic memories of his ability to ride on his Vespa scooter with a lighted tobacco pipe in his mouth and a large tape recorder balanced on his lap or how Yin erected a memorial tablet for his two cats at his residence the ‘Thalassa’ and the myriad of caustic and humorous comments made in class during his lectures.

Thalassa at the far end of the big club grounds. [Pic courtesy: Prof HD Wickramatillake]

Non Sine Lacrima [Not Without Tears]

It was the beginning of the 60s decade. An upsurge of nationalistic fervour gave schools the option of becoming Government run educational establishments, or remaining independent. St. Thomas ‘ decided on the latter. However, all schools were obliged to favour the Sinhalese medium of instruction over an English curriculum, and naturally, that aura of an English public School deteriorated. It gradually became clear that the stress on the importance of Sinhalese made it difficult to pursue the advancement of church music.

Reluctantly and sadly, in 1962 Yin left S. Thomas ‘ for Kuala Lumpur but was unable to settle comfortably owing to the linguistic barrier with Bahasa Malesia. He then returned to the country of his birth Singapore in 1963.

Yin’s last sermon to the boys on December 8, 1962 was memorable. “S. Thomas’ is you. It depends on our maintaining Christian standards of honesty and integrity. It is committed to the hilt to the service of God and Church.”

Thus we bade farewell to our most multifaceted and beloved Chaplain, Director of the Chapel of the Transfiguration, and mathematics teacher at S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia for 16 glorious years from 1946–1962.

‘Clerus Anglicanus Stupor Mundi’ — the Anglican clergy are the wonder of the world.”

Indeed Yin proved he was just that. A most versatile clergyman who shared not just his 3M resources via Music, Mathematics and Ministry, but also his expertise in divinity, counselling, literary criticism, drama, liturgy, astronomy, hymn writing and more things good and varied. He was there for many when in trouble, with understanding, empathy and gentleness, diffusing tension with a dint of humour.

Final years in Lion City

On his return to Singapore, the land of his birth, Yin was appointed the vicar of St. Hilda’s church Katong from 1972 to 1975, resident assistant priest from 1975–80, Canon from 1980–82 and finally capping off his illustrious career as Canon Precentor at St Andrew’s Cathedral Singapore from 1982–84.

St Hilda’s church, Ceylon Road Katong Singapore. [Pic: Ashi Fernando]

St Andrews Cathedral North Bridge Road Singapore where Roy Henry was Canon Precentor. [Pic: Ashi Fernando]

Apart from these positions he continued to teach maths well into his eighties, and then worked as a counsellor and social worker all the way into his 90s.

Canon Yin led a simple life, and he seemed quite content with his typewriter, and a picture of the Portuguese Cellist Madam Suggia, above the piano. He never married. But one of the happiest moments of his life was when he adopted his foster son, Peter Ang who was one of his students at the University of Malaya, where he taught in the mid-1960s. Although Peter died in 1989 Yin was cared for by his adopted grandson Attorney Andrew Ang and his wife Valerie Gan.

Canon Bowyer-Yin playing the piano at the age of 96. [Pic courtesy: Chrys Mendis]

On 7th October 2010, Canon Yin celebrated his 100th birthday with his adopted family, past pupils, close friends. Warden Puddefoot was a guest on this very special occasion. Barely two months after this day Canon Yin passed away at his home on December 14 2010. His funeral was held on Friday, December 17, at St. Andrew’s Cathedral, Singapore.

Canon Bowyer-Yin celebrating his 100th birthday on 7th October 2010. Warden Rev John Charles Puddefoot was present at the occasion [Pic courtesy: Chrys Mendis]

Two hymns composed by Rev. Bowyer-Yin, “O Holy God, I Love Thee”, which he wrote at the age of 25, and the end-of-term hymn “Lord, Thou Hast Brought Us To Our Journey’s End” were sung at his funeral service.

The Roy Bower Yin Choir fund and a memorial scholarship were established in his memory.

“S. Thomas’ is you. It depends on our maintaining Christian standards of honesty and integrity. It is committed to the hilt to serve our God and Church.” — Rhby

Note: I wish to offer my thanks and gratitude to the Centenary Group of S. Thomas’ College Mount Lavinia, Mr Hiran Fernando, Mr Chrys Mendis, the late Mr Chitran Selvathurai, the late Prof (Dr) Hemantha Wickramatillake and Dr Shehan Silva for assisting me in this compilation.