Preserving fading melodies
Amalshan GUNERATHNE
In their dreams to the ultimate fame, budding young musicians will no
longer have to exhaust themselves waiting at countless televisions
stations to get an opening to showcase their raw talents. The Oriental
Music Orchestra 2011 hopes thump a real slap at mediocre reality shows
by providing young musicians with an exclusive opportunity to showcase
their talents in a grand musical orchestra. The event is set to take
place in September.
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An
orchestra depicted in a painting |
The program is organized by the Institute of Human Excellence (IHE),
Aru Sri Art Theatre and the National Youth Services Council. The
necessary funds for the project will be provided by Royal Norwegian
Embassy and Concerts Norway.
Arundathi Sri Ranganathan expressed: "We hope to bring talented
youngsters from different ethnic groups together to perform at one
stage. The program will harness mutual understanding between different
cultures. It will also allow them to have a better understanding of
diverse musical styles and develop their talents to the fullest extent."
At a time where the youth is shying away from traditional music and
art, organizing such an event will make a resounding impact. The program
will give opportunities to young artistes who come from remote areas.
They expect to polish up the raw, unique, talents of young musicians in
a very systematic and professional manner.
The orchestra will combine Hindustani Ragadari music, Karnataka music
and Sri Lankan traditional music together to furnish a unique musical
extravaganza.
Sharing his ideals, the senior musician Somasiri Illeysinghe
expressed: "The oriental music addresses the listener's intellect. But
sadly the genre is left stranded amidst the current money minded music
trends. I hope organizing such an event will make a lasting effect on
the oriental music industry."
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Modern day
orchestra |
The event promises to be a grand one with around 125 youth performing
at the orchestra. As the initial step, the event organizers also expect
to recruit veteran instrumentalists from all regions of the island to
train the young musicians for the grand concert. The performers will be
recruited after calling applications from all parts of the island. The
age limit varies from 18 to 35. Those who are interested in
participating at the orchestra should send their application forms with
a CV stating their preferred music instrument.
The veteran tutors will also be recruited from all parts of the
island to train the youngsters who come from their respects provinces or
regions. The veteran oriental music tutors who are specialized in their
respected instruments can also send their application forms stating
their preferred music instruments. The senior tutors are expected to
provide extensive training and guidance for those who will be
participating at the event. The orchestra will play around 37 musical
instruments.
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