The Sound of Music Class 9 English Complete Chapter Summary Under 10 Mins CBSE Class 9 Exams 2023

The Sound of Music: Two Inspiring Stories of Musical Achievement Against All Odds

"The Sound of Music" is a chapter from the NCERT Class 9 English textbook Beehive that presents two biographical sketches of extraordinarily gifted musicians who achieved greatness despite facing severe physical disabilities and social challenges. Part 1 tells the story of Evelyn Glennie, a world-renowned Scottish percussionist who overcame profound deafness to become one of the most celebrated musicians of her generation. Part 2 tells the story of Ustad Bismillah Khan, the legendary Indian shehnai maestro who popularised this classical instrument around the world. Together, these two stories inspire students to understand that talent, determination, and passion can overcome any obstacle, and that music is a universal language that transcends physical limitations and cultural boundaries.

Evelyn Glennie was born in Scotland in 1965. She showed early musical talent, playing the piano at age 8 and the clarinet at age 11. However, at age 11, she was diagnosed with severe hearing loss — her auditory nerves progressively deteriorated, and within a few years, she was profoundly deaf. Doctors told her that she would never be able to pursue music professionally. Evelyn refused to accept this verdict. Her percussion teacher Ron Forbes encouraged her to "hear" music not through her ears but through her body — to feel the vibrations of sound through her fingers, arms, legs, and even her bare feet on the stage floor. She learned to sense different frequencies through different parts of her body: low-frequency sounds are felt in the lower body (legs and feet), and high-frequency sounds in the upper body (face, neck, fingers). "If you feel the vibrations," she has said, "you can hear them." She also learned to lip-read and developed extraordinary concentration. Evelyn went on to study at the prestigious Royal Academy of Music in London, became the first-ever solo percussionist in the world, and won the Royal Philharmonic Society's Soloist of the Year Award in 1991. She has performed over 350 concerts annually, collaborating with orchestras worldwide. She was awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) and has composed music for films and television. Her story is a powerful testament to the fact that disability is not inability — the human spirit, when driven by passion and perseverance, can overcome seemingly insurmountable barriers.

Ustad Bismillah Khan (1916-2006) was born in Dumraon, Bihar, into a family of traditional Muslim musicians. His grandfather Rasool Bux Khan was a shehnai player in the court of the king of Bhojpur. His father Paigambar Bux was also a shehnai player. Bismillah Khan was deeply attached to the holy Ganga (Ganges) river and to the town of Varanasi (Banaras), where he spent his entire life practising and performing. He received his early training from his uncle, Ali Bux, a shehnai player at the Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi. The shehnai is a traditional Indian wind instrument with a double-reed, similar to the oboe, which produces a rich, vibrant, and auspicious sound — it is traditionally played at weddings, processions, and temple ceremonies. Before Bismillah Khan, the shehnai was primarily a folk instrument played in temples and at marriages, but Bismillah Khan elevated it to the classical concert stage through his extraordinary virtuosity, improvisational skill, and emotional depth. He performed at the Lahore session of the Indian National Congress, and his most famous performance was on August 15, 1947 — the day of India's independence — he played the shehnai from the Red Fort in Delhi, and his recital was broadcast on All India Radio, becoming an iconic moment in Indian cultural history. He also performed at the first Republic Day celebration on January 26, 1950. He received every major national honour: the Padma Shri (1955), Padma Bhushan (1968), Padma Vibhushan (1980), and the Bharat Ratna (2001, India's highest civilian award). He was also awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and a doctorate from Banaras Hindu University. Even in his 90s, he continued to practice seven hours daily. His unwavering love for his art, his devotion to his instrument, and his deep connection to Indian culture made him a national treasure and a symbol of India's composite cultural heritage.

• Evelyn Glennie: became a world-class solo percussionist despite profound deafness by sensing vibrations through her body (feet, fingers, face). She was the first solo percussionist in the world.
• Message from Evelyn's story: disability is not an obstacle to achievement — human spirit, determination, and passion can overcome physical limitations. Teachers should recognise and nurture unconventional learning abilities.
• Ustad Bismillah Khan: legendary shehnai maestro who elevated the folk instrument to classical concert status; performed at Red Fort on India's first Independence Day (Aug 15, 1947).
• He was awarded the Bharat Ratna (2001), Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan — the full range of India's highest civilian honours.
• Roots in Varanasi and deep devotion to the Ganga shaped his music; his life shows the importance of cultural heritage, dedication, and practice in achieving artistic mastery.