A GRAND NIGHT FOR SINGING

It will all happen on the 3rd and 4th of August at Bishops College Auditorium, 7:15 pm on both days. Tickets

 are out on sale at All Saints Church Bookshop and at Bishops College Auditorium or you can call 2345723

This newest venture by Gehan Cooray Features selections from Broadway Musicals such as by Lerner and Loewe - Camelot, My Fair Lady, John Kander and Fred Ebb - Cabaret, Rodgers and Hammerstein - Oklahoma!, Cinderella, Flower Drum Song, South Pacific, State Fair , Irving Berlin - Annie Get Your Gun, Call Me Madam, Cole Porter - Kiss Me Kate, Bob Merrill - Carnival and Stiles and Drewe of Mary Poppins fame.

The director of 'A Grand Night For Singing' Gehan Cooray is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in THEATRE at the prestigious University of Southern California in Los Angeles, complemented by 2 Minor degrees in CINEMA-TELEVISION and PSYCHOLOGY.

He has been featured in many theatrical and musical productions - including Shakespearen plays and Operettas - staged by St. Joseph's College, and also by the Yolande Academy of Speech & Drama and Indu Dharmasena.

Under the tutelage of Mrs. Menaka de Fonseka Sahabandu, Gehan has taken Singing as well as Piano.examinations, conducted by the Associate Board of the Royal Schools of Music, London, and also those conducted by the Trinity College of Music, London.

He has been a member and Choir Leader of St. Cecilia's Choir of St. Joseph's College, training under Mr. Francis D'Almeida. Gehan was also a founding member of the Colombo Catholic Youth Choir, which toured Germany in 2004, according Gehan the opportunity to sing, most notably, at The Dom (Cathedral of Cologne). He was a finalist in the Vocal category at the SOSL Concerto Competition 2006.

Natasha Senanayake who plays a key role in this musical is a product of The Ladies College While at school, she has been deeply involved in Music, having been the Leader of the school orchestra, The President of the Music Circle and the Leader of the Ladies' College Choir.

She has been involved in many past musical productions of the school including Choir Concerts, and three Musicals which were presented by the Middle School of Ladies' College. Natasha is also a composer, with many vocal and instrumental compositions to her credit. Several of these have already being performed at different occasions.

She has completed her Diploma in Piano from the Trinity College of Music, London and won many prizes and awards for music both in and outside school.At present she is teaching music while studying, and is hoping to pursue a Bachelor of Music degree overseas. She is working on releasing her debut album, featuring her original compositions. International Opera star Barbara Segal is due to gve a recital of operatic arias accompanied on the piano by Menaka de Fonseka Sahabandu. Ms. Segal who currently is the Head of Overseas Operations for the 'Opera and Concert Productions Worldwide' is responsible each year to arrange and place sponsorship for an opera tour to fourteen different countries as a cultural exchange.

She is also a consultant for voice and repertoire to the 'European Chamber Opera'. Ever since her operatic debut in the role of Musetta in La Boheme at the Santa Magherita Ligure Opera Festival, Barbara Segal has won critical acclaim for the diverse roles she has performed including Queen of the Night in the Magic Flute, Violetta in La Traviata, the controversial Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor and Marguerite in Faust.

In recent years she has toured widely and performed and produced operas here in Sri Lanka including La Boheme, Barber of Seville, La Traviata and a performance with The Lanka Philharmonic Orchestra.

Eshantha J. Peiris, Piano - Sri Lankan pianist/composer Eshantha J. Peiris is currently pursuing a Master's Degree in Music Composition at New York University where he also teaches piano as an adjunct faculty instructor. He holds a B.Mus in Piano Performance from NYU and a Diploma from the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, and has appeared as a piano soloist with the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka and the Amsterdam Chamber Ensemble.

THOUGHTS ABOUT THE CONCERT

"A Grand Night for Singing" is a musical revue, in which selections from a variety of Broadway Musicals will be amalgamated within the corpus of a single concert.

While the show promises to be exceedingly entertaining and exhilarating, in typical Broadway fashion, many songs in the programme have been chosen and interpreted in such a manner as to stimulate serious thought about several pertinent issues.

The re-imagining and dramatization of several popular songs promises to make the concert unique, and unlike the generic presentation of "showtunes". The directors feel that the songs of Broadway have far too much texture, depth and nuance to be denigrated to the status of "light-hearted showtunes".

Care has been taken to unleash the said depth and nuances wherever possible, so as to make the selections as dramatic as they are musical. Others in the cast are Tahanee Aluwihare - Semi finalist in the Vocal category of the SOSL Concerto Competition 2006. Been a part of many of Ruwani Seimon's concerts.

Shehan Somaratne - Winner of "Talent Search 2004" - Vocal category. Integral part of several bands, most notably at Sheffield University, England.Saveeta de Alwis - Featured in many theatrical productions and musicals, staged by Asian International School and the Yolande School of Speech and Drama, where she currently teaches.

Bennola Gerard - Member of the St. Bridget's Convent Choir. Been featured in many concerts produced by Ruwani Seimon and Menaka de Fonseka Sahabandu.

SvetlanaAbeysekera - Member of the Ladies College Choir.Dushyanth Aluwihare - Been featured in many of Ruwani Seimon's concerts. Anushka Senanayake - Member of the Ladies College Choir. Anushka is also a composer.

Eshantha J. Peiris - Piano Johann Peiris - KeyboardDominic Johnpillai - Violin Charlini Alles - CelloChandrishan Alles - Double BassTilanka Jayamanne - Flute will set-up the musical back-up for this grand musical evening Lighting and Choreography - Indu Dharmasena and Sanwadha Abeysirigunawardena

The concert is in aid of the All Saints Church Restoration Fund