Symphony Orchestra Concert

The Sri Lanka Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka in their awaited concert next month will feature two young soloists Vidhurinda Samaraweera – horn with Joshua Asokan – piano.

The conductor Eshantha Peiris. The concert will be held on August 3 at Ladies College Hall 7 p.m.
The program for the evening will be Mozart's well-known
Horn Concerto No. 3 in E Flat Major, K 447,
Mendelssohn's: Piano Concerto No. 1 on G Minor Op 25
Sachiththa Fernando: Battle of the Space Warriors – a world premeire
Prokofiev: Symphony No. 1 on D. Major Op 25.

Vidhurinda Samaraweera was tutored first by Lal de Saman and in college he joined the Thomian Chamber Orchestra.

At the young eye of 13 he began to play with the National Youth Orchestra and soon mastered the art of playing the French Horn under Asoka Perera and later with Manilal Weerakoon, Dian Fernando, Dilan Angunawela and Usitha Samarakoon. Three years ago when he made the decision to join the Junior Symphony Orchestra, he worked under its then leader Ananda Dabare. Joshua Asokan commenced his career in classical piano under Joy Gnanadurai and completed his graded examinations in music conducted by the Associated Board of Royal Schools of Music and Trinity Guildhall. Now under the tutelage of Ramya de Livera Perera he is preparing for his diploma in performance.

He has won several prizes at competitions which include the Sri Lanka Festival of Music, Dance and Speech and also the Colombo Music Festival 2012.

Keerthi Acoustica

The unplugged concert by Keerthi Pasqual will go on the boards today at the BMICH, 7pm The proceeds from the concert will go towards upgrading more facilities with regard to music therapy in hospitals where cancer and heart patients are warded and also to hospitals and orphanages in the outstations.

Last year the proceeds from his concert were donated to the Sri Vajira Children's Orphanage in Kotte where around 190 orphans were introduced to a regular music teaching program under his supervision.

No More July at Viharamahadevi Park

A group of artistes will hold No More July, a cultural evening, at the Viharamahadevi Park, Colombo 7 on July 23 at 3 p.m. It will include a photographic and painting exhibition and a musical event.

Rowling writes new story on ‘greying’ Harry Potter

JK Rowling has written a new story on her Pottermore fan website, revealing what Harry, Hermione and Ron look like in their Thirties.

Set during the Quidditch World Cup final, the story takes the form of a newspaper gossip column written by Daily Prophet reporter Rita Skeeter.

In the article, Skeeter writes that Harry Potter, who is about to turn 34, has “a couple of threads of silver in [his] black hair”, but says he continues to wear his “distinctive” round glasses.

She also notes that Harry Potter now “sports a nasty cut over his right cheekbone” to accompany his famous lightning scar.

Getting older appears to be taking its toll on Ron’s hair too, with Skeeter reporting that his famous ginger crop “appears to be thinning slightly”.

Even Hermione’s hair gets a mention, with Skeeter taking a catty slight at her appearance despite her “meteoric rise” to the Deputy Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

“She is now tipped to go even higher within the Ministry, and is also mother to son, Hugo, and daughter, Rose. Does Hermione Granger prove that a witch can really have it all? (No- look at her hair.),” the gossip journalist writes.

The 1,500 word article also reports that Harry took his sons James and Albus to visit the Quidditch World Cup players’ compound, “where he introduced them to Bulgarian seeker Viktor Krum”, but no more details are given about them.

Harry’s wife Ginny is not present at the match, leading to heavy speculation from Skeeter about their marriage. “Or does his injury have a more humble origin, one that Potter is desperate to hide? Has his wife perhaps cursed him? Are cracks beginning to show in a union that the Potters are determined to promote as happy?

“Should we read anything into the fact that his wife Ginevra has been perfectly happy to leave her husband and children in London whilst reporting on this tournament?,” she writes.

Skeeter goes on to make another speculative claim about Ron’s mental health, suggesting that his destruction of Voldermort’s Horcruxes has had an irreparable impact on him.

- The Independent