ARTS
 

Peradeniya Singers and Young Professionals celebrate Mozart

The programme will include works from Mozart including solos for voice, piano and violin and choral items. We include other items such as a totally new arrangement of "Swing Low Sweet Chariot" and works of J.S. Bach.

The Peradeniya Singers have decided to join with young professionals to provide aid for The School for Deaf and Blind in Colombo and Samata Dehena (a multi-religious cultural centre organized by the Catholic Church in Kandy. We invite you to support these causes generously on June 30 at Girls High School, Kandy at 6.30 p.m and on July 1 at St. Peter's College at 7 p.m.

The Peradeniya Singers began life as the University Singers founded by Robin Mayhead at the University of Ceylon in 1953. Robin Mayhead came to the university's Department of English in Peradeniya from Downing College, Cambridge, where he had directed a choral group.

Mayhead was committed to a capella performance, a skill he nurtured in us, painlessly rehearsing just an hour twice weekly, in the Arts Faculty's Room B. Fascinated by the music of the early Renaissance, he gave us an enduring taste for the polyphony of Palestrina, Vittoria, Manduit, Byrd et al, taking us into musical experience ranging from the plangent solemnity of Vittoria's O Vos Omnes to the lighthearted El Grillo in praise of the chirping of the cricket.

The present director Bridget Halpe was a member of the Newman Society choir from 1956. She returned in 1962 from a two-year stint in Bristol studying music at the university.

Drawing on her training and experience in Bristol's Department of Music and as a member of the University of Bristol Choir, the select Thirty-two Choir and the Paragon Singers, she took over the Newman Society Choir and revived the University Singers.Both choirs met regularly and presented several programmes despite disruptions by events in this turbulent period, and by the so-called university reorganization. The unrest in the country in 1998-1990 led to a closure of the universities for two years.

Fortunately, the group already included several non-university people, and so the choir was able to continue under the name Peradeniya Singers.

Composed of students and working people, including many expatriates, the group's membership varies and fluctuates considerably. The group rehearses weekly.

Besides its own annual concerts, Peradeniya Singers has presented or participated in several special programmes, notably the concert in celebration of the Bach/Handel tricentennial (1985), the bicentennial of the French Republic (1989), the fiftieth anniversaries of university education in Sri Lanka (1992) and of the move of the university to Peradeniya (2002) the ceremonial opening of the rebuilt Central Bank building (2001), etc. It participated on invitation in several Christmas and Easter concerts of the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka under conductors Earl De Fonseka and Lalanath De Silva, and in the recordings of three important and innovative Sri Lankan works: Devar Surya Sena's Sri Lankan setting of the Anglican Eucharistic celebration, Lalanath de Silva's Requiem Orbis Terrarum and Pradeep Ratnayake's Indrakeelaya.

Diary of Anne Frank at Lionel Wendt

The world renowned diary of the young Jewish girl Anne Frank who suffered under the Nazi regime has been brought on stage by the veteran dramatist Ravindra Ranasinha as a Sinhala theatre adaptation under the title Sevanali (Shadows) which will be performed at Lionel Wendt on July 13. 'Sevanali' (Shadows), is an anti-war docu-drama, which depicts the psychological trauma caused by war on children, and will be a new theatrical experience, as it presents multi-media images on the current war situation parallel to the story of Anne Frank.

This play, which shows the plight of civil society, minority groups, journalists and others who are affected by war, is presented by 'Subodhi', Institute of Integral Education in Piliyandala, with a view towards conflict resolution. The cast includes Nilmini Fernando, Theekshana Pramuditha, Gayani Keshika, Kavya Aloka, Lalani Fernando, Saman Manikkarachchi, Wickramasena Hettihewa, Sapumal Wijeratne, Shayama Edirisinghe, Ashen Priyankara, Piyori Niranjan, Gihan Silva and Gihan Anuradha.

'Action Asia' out

Action Asia, features a range of informative articles on adventure tourism and has a bi-monthly circulation of over 45,000 copies all over Asia and a readership of over 135,000. It is hugely popular in all the major countries in the region including Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, India, Maldives, Nepal as well as in Australia and New Zealand.

Sri Lanka with its vast potential for adventure tourism is also featured in the current issue of the Magazine, (May/June) and without doubt the Magazine will be a treasure trove of information for all enthusiasts. Action Asia is currently available for sale at all major book shops in Colombo and will soon be available in the outstations as well.

Eco Team is the distributing agent in Sri Lanka for Action Asia.