The year was 1947 and Malaya was recovering from the Japanese Occupation of World War II.

Vincent’s mission was to script a commemoration song for the school’s golden jubilee celebrations, an event meant for 1945 but deferred till Oct 24, 1947 because of the war.

Little did Vincent know then that he was about to rewrite history as he hummed “Not so very long ago…”.

Recalling the moment, Vincent, 97, said that he was taken by surprise by the principal’s instructions.

“Ho had learnt from his wife, the school’s music teacher, who was impressed with my talents acquired in my growing up years. I had to dig deep into my repertoire and choose one tune that caught my fancy.

“The lyrics were crafted along a similarly-sounding tune I had learnt in Singapore as a member of the ‘Life Boy’, a junior element of the Boy’s Brigade.

“The modified version was catchy and it fitted well with the mood of the celebration, becoming an instant hit.

“The lyrics were adapted to reflect our situation in Ipoh and, more importantly, our aspirations,” said Vincent, in conjunction with the ACS Ipoh 130th Anniversary Dinner 2025 at the Kinta Riverfront Hotel in Ipoh.

Vincent credited his parents and Mrs Kandiah, the organist and choir leader of the Tamil Methodist Church, for his musical talents when he was in Kuala Lumpur during the early war years.

Vincent’s father was a church pastor, while his mother taught at a music school.

Chew Beng Hian, an ACS Ipoh alumnus, said Vincent already had a deep love for music by the time he arrived at the school, founded by Rev William Horley in 1895.

“Vincent had matured musically and the school reaped the rewards later that year,” said Chew, adding that Vincent was best remembered as the lyricist of the ACS Ipoh school song.

Another alumnus, Chin Yoong Kim, praised Vincent for the tune he composed, saying: “It is very catchy and rousing – a very suitable rhythmic structure with a brisk but not hurried tempo.

“The rest of us less musically-informed, are likely to describe it as ‘bloody good’.”

Chin also had high praise for Vincent’s lyrics, saying they were essentially secular in content, and nationalistic in mood.

“The song is now deeply embedded into the finest of ACS Ipoh traditions. This is Vincent’s lasting gift,” Chin added.

After completing his Senior Cambridge Certificate in 1947, Vincent was appointed a teacher at ACS Ipoh the following year, and taught there till 1957.

In 1954, he accepted a scholarship to Illinois Wesleyan University in the US to pursue a degree in English and music.

Upon his return, Vincent became the newly established Methodist School’s principal in Banting, Selangor and served there until his retirement in 1983.

He lives in Petaling Jaya with his wife Mercy Daniel. His daughter Sharon is a lawyer who works for the US government in Washington DC and is married to World Bank financial consultant James Boyd.

Meanwhile, ACS Ipoh Alumni Association president Dr Sushil Kumar Ratti, its Kuala Lumpur and Klang Valley Chapter chairman Peter Lee Siew Choong, school principal Magaswari Ubbudari and board of governors’ chairman Daniel Devadas paid a courtesy call on Vincent and Mercy at their home, recently.

“Vincent was still in high spirits as we reminisced about ACS Ipoh’s enduring legacy,” he said, adding that they shared stories about the past as well as the values that ACS Ipoh instilled in them.