NYO to present dazzling show to mark 20th anniversary

by Mahes Perera

The National Youth Orchestra (NYO), unique in its concept, and established by the Ministry of Education will present its 20th anniversary concert at the Nelum Pokuna Mahinda Rajapaksa Performing Arts Theatre, on October 6, at 6 p.m. The orchestra will comprise 100 performers which including 50 string players, and the balance winds and percussion players.

Ushitha Samarakoon, Assistant Director Western Music of the Ministry of Education said that intense rehearsals are being held at Royal College every Saturday from 1 p.m.-4 p.m. "I must thank the principal of Royal College for his ready co-operation in giving us the opportunity to rehearse at his College. Earlier we used to rehearse at Visakha Vidyalaya and we cannot forget the assistance given by the Principal.

The program will last one and a half hours with an interval. The orchestra will play classics to modern music, a wide variety including Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture, Rossini's Overture to the Barber of Seville Sarath Fernando's Renunciation, a mix of pop songs, Sinhala songs and a popular medley of hits by Abba.

The Concert Master is Amal Abeysekera. The members of the orchestra are committed and show a lot of enthusiasm. What's more they don't miss out on the rehearsals."

The event presented by the Ministry of Education is sponsored by the Norwegian Embassy, under a long term music cooperation. The Ministry of Education funds the training program and since it is considered an educational program, the Ministry assists the children by giving them music instruments if required.

Training 100 young students weekly is not an easy task, considering the fact that at the initial concert the students were from Colombo, but subsequently talented youth from the outstations - Galle, Kurunegala and Anuradhapura were co-opted and trained from scratch to be able to face up to a live performance on stage. At this concert at Nelum Pokuna on October 6 young string players from Kandy and Kurunegala will join the orchestra. With the training the youth receive by being a member of the NYO they get the opportunity to play in the Sri Lanka Symphony Orchestra. As a point of interest the conductors for the NYO's concert will be Manilal Weerakoon, Ajith Abayasekera, Sarath Fernando, Dilan Angunawela and Dayananda Fernando.

Evolution

A spool back into the evolution of the National Youth Orchestra will reveal that all credit has to go to Maya Abeywickrema who in 1992 was then the Head of the Western Music Unit of the Ministry of Education. "It was a dream of mine and I'm glad it has become a reality. We have given talented children in all parts of Sri Lanka the opportunity to develop their talents and be featured at yearly concerts. When I look back I am proud that we have come this far. I was born in Badulla, studied at the Convent there, learnt the piano. Nobody would believe that I never heard an orchestra before until I went to Jaffna. I was spurred into action and I was determined to form a youth orchestra and showcase youth who didn't have the opportunity to be centre stage.

It was a Herculean task but I was determined to go through, whatever the odds. I must thank the Japanese Embassy for the tremendous support. I'd like to quote my message from the first concert held in 1992. "Musical instinct is universal, where the less privileged student is also given an opportunity to develop his/her talent. The National Youth Orchestra paved the way for talented students from all parts of the country to come together to display their prowess."

The NYO's yearly concerts are looked forward to and the orchestra has performed at festivals. Unfortunately, they had only one performance over the National Radio when Shantilal de Silva was Controller of Music. Both Ushitha Samarakoon and Maya Abeywickrema are happy with the support the parents of the orchestra members have extended towards them, ever willing and ready to bring their children for the weekly rehearsals.

They also thank the instructors Rohan Fernando, T.Z. Greezy, Margaret, Devika de Silva, Rasika Alawatte, Priyanthi Sudasinghe and the first conductor of the National Youth Orchestra Lalanath de Silva.