 A gold medal performance
by Mahes Perera
Choral music has taken centre
stage today in our music scene and the recent “Celebration in Song” held
at St. Mary’s Church, Bambalapitiya was a rare treat for music lovers of
all ages. The occasion was to celebrate Neranjan de Silva’s twenty-five
years as an accompanist for choirs. As such Sri Lanka’s finest choirs
combined for the first time ever to perform a programme of well-known
sacred hymns and songs with high calibre arrangements handled by
Neranjan, the accompanist and Mary Ann David, the conductor.
 The choirs who participated with great zeal were the Merry An
Singers, St. Mary’s Choral Group, Soul Sounds, the Revelations, The
Peterite Chorale and The L.G. Singers, with Mary Ann David directing
them through all the hymns in her usual expertise which revealed her
sensitivity to music in any genre. Congratulations to her for ensuring
that the choir as a whole never faltered in their expressions of the
music be it in harmony or solo. Mention must be made of young Nadishka
Aloysius, the anchor girl whose voice and text was flawless.
Meeting up with some members of the cross-section of the audience
present at the concert, their comments were encouraging. Aruna
Siriwardhana said “Blessed was he to be able to celebrate his birthday
thus, and blessed were we to be able to witness it”. Fr. Claver Perera
who had a long association with St. Mary’s Choir expressed the
familiarity of the choir and the sacred music with new arrangements by
Neranjan added a warm, intimate atmosphere.
The finale was hauntingly beautiful, sung very softly, sounding
almost like an echo which was moving”. Lalith Block’s comment was
“Beautiful! It was hard to stop myself from clapping at the end of each
item!” Dawn Austin, a regular at almost all concerts said: “We were
treated to some amazing music arrangements which took the normal sacred
music to an exciting new level”. Christo Prins a music colleague
endorsed “it was a memorable evening.
The sound of so many beautiful voices blending together to create
such fabulous harmonies was taken to a much higher level of arrangements
and accompaniment”. Oboeist Sarath Fernando commented “I wasn’t sure
what to expect when I came for this performance. It was quite different.
It was a well disciplined musical performance of the highest quality and
I’m sure the performers enjoyed it like I did.
The duet sung by Anila and Surekha de Silva was a highlight and a
loving and memorable tribute to their father. Eshantha de Andrado was of
the view that the accompaniment was awe inspiring and upheld the grand
tradition of choral music and the manner in which sacred music should be
sung. Andrew David expressed his opinion that “it was a moving
performance by over a hundred voices singing in glorious harmony as a
tribute to Neranjan’s master and enormous contribution through organ and
keyboard.”
Nela de Zoysa commented that young Anila de Silva stole the show. Her
confidence and timbre of voice was as rare as the Celebration. If you
were one of the audience we are glad, you made it that day.
Subtle Sounds at Galle Face
by Nilma Dole
Hearing the delightful music of
‘Fire and Rain’ playing at the German Restaurant during ‘Oktoberfest’
makes the October month of food and drink the best ever. After a hard
day’s work and a yearning to relax, the 4-piece outfit make merry to
melt your worries away. The manager of the band is none other than Derek
Wickramanayake (Wildfire fame) who has a keen sense to pick out a
talented star.
 “Nowadays, we have plenty of young blood and the youth talent that
offers the crowd a good mix in the music scene and this is why I have my
own band management company called WAMP that deals with 6 bands giving
the happening hot spots in town plenty of action,” he said. The band
‘Fire and Rain’ comprises former band members like Jeffrey from Purple
Rain and Donald from Mirage who also chip into make Derek’s band a
worthy one. “We have a rotating band called ‘Soul’ comprising songstress
Nadine who has an impressive voice, Milinda on vocals and guitar and
Nishal on guitar who play some great hits”, said Derek.
On most Sundays you will see Sherry and Jermaine melting the crowd
with their soulful beats and smooth jazz collections to help unwind
patrons just before a hectic week.
The German Restaurant is a private place with plenty of character and
listening to the right music does play an important role in determining
your mood. Derek can be seen chipping in to help the band and giving
them advice and support.
Plus, by being a rock legend and veteran in the music scene, he has
helped young talent shine by giving them the opportunity.
“By picking out the right talent, people want to hear the best music
and also sing along to it, so while there are still covers that my bands
play, most are keen on producing their own music provided it is
well-received by the audience” he said.
Speaking about the other bands Derek manages, he said, “I also manage
the ‘Rebels’ and `Dimensions’ who play retro and some pop and rock
songs.” Further he commented, “The ‘Jazz Quartet’ is also another band I
manage who have a double bass guitarist and a good female vocalist which
are in demand at many of the major five star hotels.”
The band ‘Highway’ also offer some good music for thought with their
blend and Derek says that every band has their own signature sound.
So keep your toes tapping and your body shaking to the rhythms
brought about by Derek and his WAMP company which is sure to revamp your
perception of music in the city! |
