High scorers: tomorrow's leaders in classical music

Reviewed by Gwen Herat

British School Auditorium was the venue for the High Scorers' Concert and prize awards conducted by the Sri Lanka Chapter of The Associated Board of the Schools of Music for which Sri Lanka's Representative is Mano Chanmugam.

With 120 years of inspiring generations of musicians and singers, ABRSM is the governing authority for the UK's leading conservatories: Royal Academy of Music, London, Royal College of Music, London, Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester and Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, Glasgow.

Mano Chanmugam is perhaps the guardian of tomorrow's leaders in classical music and has put his heart and soul into unearthing Sri Lanka's talent over the last ten years.

He does it with passion and dedication from the love he has for this great performing art. Over the years his devotion keeps increasing with ardour and keeps the fires burning. Sri Lanka's budding musicians need innovation and this is where the ABRSM plays a vital role. Chanmugam's dedication goes beyond praise. They need mighty words to describe his ardour, something beyond human skills.

A great pianist himself I often call him when I get floored during musical research and pat comes the answer from his computer-brain, the musicologist that he is. While the ABRSM steers them, they alone must know where they are heading because what they have in mind for their future is churning in their minds presently.

Who will make it to the top or drop back is defines thier destiny. It is here that Chanmugam steps in to play a major role, hunting, scouting, encouraging the best in the country.

Tonight, the High Scorers are indebted to him as were the previous ones over the years. We have outstanding violinists, pianists, vocalists and other instrumentalists who have emerged from this background... and as well as conductors.

The High Scorers play some popular works from the Masters of their choice and they are varied and colourful; some easy on their instruments and voices while others try to bring out the best. Music can be divided into groups of Early Music (1000-1200), Medieval (1200-2450), Renaissance (1450-1600), Baroque (1600-1750), Classical (1750-1820), Romantic (1800-1850), High Romantic (1850-1910) and Modern (1900 onwards to date). So, tonight's youngsters have opted for Classical and Romantic periods.

(This is if I remember my theory correctly) Classical music can be traced to generations and through overt emotionalism that has characterised its form and concept. This is the period that the Masters emerged from classicism to romanticism and to the modern schools.

It was through their influence that the basic structure of four movements emerged. They were the longest, sometimes with a slow introduction, the Slow Movement, Minute and Fast short light in character. Most sonatas, symphonies and chamber music were written in accordance within this framework. Why I mention this is because I can see these evenly distributed among the High Scorers playing tonight.

A sensational and heart-warming prelude to the concert had a group of twenty-four musicians under violinist virtuoso, Ananda Dabere conducting in accordance to a youthful romantic evening. While he yielded the baton right royally over the heads of the twenty-four instrumentalists, the audience sat in awe. The young hopefuls had dreams.

The little dot of a princess sang harmoniously Aubrey Beswick's Water Melon Seller. She was a darling who stole everyone's hearts with her confidence. That was Jacinta Richards who led the rest of the High Scorers. She was trained by Dilangani Bharatti.

Ibrahim Shifaz, self-taught saxophonist who came all the way from the Maldives bagged the Grade 5 (open) award. He needs a special mention for his dedication to the saxophone and Graham Lyons whose score, The Swinging Roundabout, made him a winner.

My favourite for the evening was Sachitha Fernando who opted to play Dvorak-Kriesler on the violin. Slaviche Fantasie. A student of Ananda Dabere and there was no mistake about it. A promising violinist in the making.

Once again, it was Ananda Dabere's touch that saw the Tango by Neomali Gunaratne exhalting Isaac Albeniz's score with all her heart in D. Op 165 No. 2 which is the remainder of his 250 works. This Tango in D is his most popular work, full of exuberant rhythm and flamboyance which Neomali displayed at such a tender age and rightfully carrying the award for under-14 violin.

Very promising both in voice and on the violin Kiara Wickramasinghe's favourite for the evening was Mozart's Una Donna A Quindci Ami at Grade 7 level and was trained by Menaka de Fonseka whose vocal skills had been incorporated into Kiara's voice. In the next turn-around, Kiera picked up her violin to do justice to Kroll's Banjo and Fiddle and shone on the stage. She did mesmerise the audience with a passionate display. A bright future for her under the guidance of Menaka de Fonseka and Ananda Dabere.

I thought Johan Strauss II was the odd-man out among the composers tonight but his Tritch Tratch Polka stirred the audience. Scored in 1858 and played tonight by Grade 4 award winning Sarah de Alwis, was lively, full of aplomb to the swinging beat of a polka, she would have delighted the heart of her teacher, Prema Ratnayaka.

I would be failing in my review if I forgot to mention the pianist, Eshantha Pieris who accompanied many students with his magnificent key-board caressing. This supported them greatly in the event of a missed note or timing.

Eshantha holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Music performance and composition from the New York University. He is currently a conductor of Symphony Orchestra Sri Lanka.

The High Scorers are a lucky lot because for some one like me who listens to classical music daily and have studied it (under Ms Joseph and Glenice Range), events of this nature, push me down memory lane where other kids like me were not fortunate to excercise our talents in such high profile audition.

We never had God fathers like Mano Chanmugam and a Malini Jayasinghe - Pieris was that she was a goddess of music when she visited our school.