Soul Sounds - choir wins 3 Golds at 5th World Choir Games

Nigel Kerner

Having won two golds in the open categories of gospel/spiritual and popular choral music, competing with more than 25 choirs in each category, Soul Sounds, went on to score a perfect three by winning their third gold medal in the Open Folklore Category at the World Choir Games in Graz, Austria.

In this category Soul Sounds had to compete with over 40 choirs from all over the world. A choir’s status and quality is defined by the magnitude of the competition it faces.

In fact, the most competitive and toughest categories to compete in are the open categories, and this is indeed a singular achievement for Soul Sounds and Sri Lanka to win Gold medals in all the three events in which they competed.

With this unprecedented achievement ‘Soul Sounds’ continues the spectacular run of distinguished performances world-wide, taking the international choir scene by storm. They previously won two silvers at the 2007 Choir Olympics in Xiamen China.

The list of Soul Sounds’ successes is legend and among them was a CD they contributed to in 2005. The choir were invited to provide a choral contribution to a memorable CD done in England under the flag of the UK Disasters Emergency Committee when the tsunami struck in December 2004.

Mike Read the famous British presenter of popular music donated a song he had written entitled ‘Grief Never Grows Old’ to the Fund and world renown artists including Sir Cliff Richard, Russel Watson, Barry & Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees, Boy George and Steve Winwood, contributed the popular music version of the song on the CD.

Soul Sounds were invited to do a track on the CD and their version alone, of the three versions of the song, was chosen by the world famous Classic FM TV channel in the UK for an extended daily broadcast over the whole of 2005.

The CD made over £7 million for the Tsunami charity and got to number 4 on the British pop charts. Soul Sounds’ beautiful rendition of the song ‘Grief Never Grows Old’ drew the author’s personal unfettered praise.

Another Sri Lankan choir competing this year in Graz, this time an all male assembly, ‘The Revelations’ won gold and silver medals in their respective categories. They won gold and champion status competing against three other choirs in the gospel ensemble category and silver competing against four other choirs for the popular music ensemble category.

In Graz, Soul Sounds delighted the jury and audience alike, with their renditions of traditional Sri Lankan Folk music, attired in beautiful reddha and hatte creations by Lou Ching Wong.

While charming the audience and competitors from other countries, Soul Sounds spread the message of peace and love, and indeed the beauty of the country and its folk traditions thus inviting many inquiries about the beauty of Sri Lanka, its people and culture.

Many were the instances that found other choirs from around the world, thronging around 25 beautiful damsels always attired in Sri Lankan dress.

Not only did they sing during competitions, but during the entire games in public places and squares in the ancient city of Graz, where the Games were held, teaching other choirs and people Sri Lankan traditions in the form of music and dance, and sharing with other countries like South Africa, Serbia, Austria, America, Hungary and Indonesia their cultures and the universality of music.

The choir was directed by Soundarie David-Rodrigo, while Jerome L de Silva was their artistic director. Neranjan de Silva and Christopher Prins added their expertise in the form of musical accompaniment on keyboard, drums and percussion.

The versatile and erudite talents and abilities of Sri Lankans to take the world on, in international terms and triumph, has astonished people of all nationalities from time to time.

In a time when desultory claim and counter-claim rule our world, where spin doctors weave all kinds of fanciful tapestries woven in half truths and downright lies, it is right and noble to see that the facts spoke for themselves in Graz, Austria.

The World Choir Games result illustrates with spectacular verity that Sri Lanka in the midst of all her trials and tragedies can speak with a voice bringing harmony, grace, hope and plenitude to us all.

The achievements of our premier choir ‘Soul Sounds’ speaks volumes for all Sri Lankans in the world community.

Of course none of this would have been possible if not for the continued support of the Sri Lanka Tourism Authority, the Deutsche Bank, The Dr. Earl de Fonseka Trust Fund, who were their principal sponsors, while Suntel, Asia Capital, Dialog Telekom plc, Alpha Orient Lanka, Janashakthi Insurance, and Holcim were co-sponsors.