Cultural Diary

"Bicentennial Concert" by Chamber Music Society of Colombo:

Celebrating Three Masters

by Ranga CHANDRARATHNE

The 'Bicentennial Concert ' by Chamber Music Society of Colombo (CMSC) will be held on Thursday, 26 November at the Lionel Wendt, Colombo. "The Bicentennial Concert," as it is called, will commemorate three of Germany's greatest composers of classical music - Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1809-1847), Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) and the revered baroque master George Friedrich Handel (1685-1759). The year 2009 coincidentally brings together anniversaries of all three composers, whose life and work have become a subject of special celebration in many parts of the world this year.

The CMSC has put together a superb combination of the unfamiliar, accessible, melodic and musically rewarding work, for this concert. It is in fact their second commemorating Mendelssohn, Haydn and Handel (the first having been held at the Goethe Institute in August this year). The program begins with the overture to Haydn's sixth opera, "The Unexpected Encounter".

This is based on a Turkish subject and features a lively Presto middle section. Those who missed the third String Symphony of Mendelssohn in August, would be pleased to hear that this tuneful minor mode masterpiece by a precocious 12 year old, shall be repeated. Every listening, should further inspire and make one marvel at the creativity and detail of the string writing.

The Bicentennial Concert will commence at 7:30pm sharp. Tickets are available at the venue (Lionel Wendt), at Titus Stores and Liberty Plaza.

The concert is made possible by the German Embassy in Colombo, the exclusive sponsor of this event.

Exhibition of installations

Koralegedara Pushpakumara's latest exhibition titled 'Goodwill Hardware' which commenced on November 14 will continue till December 7 at the Theertha Red Dot Gallery space. Pushpakumara has used hardware material for his art works. The material includes barbed wire inside transparent tubes, barrier tape, tent material, metal chains and nails which bring beauty to his works contrasting the recent calamities and atrocities that the materials and the works points to. - RC

"Sanda Oona"

Colombo Old Girls' Association of Pushpadana Girls' College, Kandy will be organising a live concert by Kasun Kalhara and Nirosha Virajini titled "Sanda Oona".

The concert will be held on 28 November at 6.30 p.m. at the Bishop's College Auditorium, Colombo. The old pupils of Pushpadana Girls' College have organised the event to raise funds for various charitable activities which they planed to do.

New fashion magazine

"The Fashion Magazine", the latest fashion magazine to hit the stands will be launched in January 2010. Published in both languages the lifestyle magazine will discuss various topics that are near and dear to the hearts of the readers.

The magazine is printed by D.R.S. Holdings owned by Rohan Liyanage. The General Manager of the Magazine is Dr. Ajith Herath while the Director Marketing and Business Development is Eranga Herath.

AGM of Sri Lanka Press Association

The 54th AGM of Sri Lanka Press Association will be held on November 28 at hotel Ranmuthu Kollupitiya at 9.30. a.m.

Exhibition of paintings on Ravana's era

An exhibition of paintings by Dammika Ravindra Dissanayake on Ravana's era will be held at the Lionel Wendt art gallery today.

"Sihina Rangahala"

'Sihina Rangahala' (Theatre of dreams), a collection of one act plays produced by award winning playwright Dhananjaya Karunaratne will be staged on Novemebr 29 at 7.00 p.m. at the Lionel Wendt, Colombo 07.

Tales from the tree house

"Tales from the tree house" , a book for children by Sakuntala Sachithanandan will be launched today (November 22) at 5.30 p.m. at Employers' Federation of Ceylon (CFC)

No.385 J 3 Old Kotte Road Rajagiriya (From Borella to Rajagiriya).

"Dummalawarama"

"Dummalawarama", directed by Ranjith de Alwis, will be staged at the Bhuddhi Mandapa Auditorium in Polonnaruwa on November 27 at 3.30 and 6.30 p.m. in aid of Thamankaduwa Pradeshiya Sabha Welfare Society. The music is directed by Visharadha Edward Jayakody.

Eka Adhipathi

Eka Adhipathi, a drama by Dharmasiri Bandaranayake which won eight awards at the 1976 State Drama Festival will go onboard at the Lionel Wendt Theatre Colombo 7 on December 3 and 4.