Stepping into the future with song

Angu RAJENDRAN

Choir practices

There is nothing more uplifting than the voices of children raised in song. As Sri Lanka’s grandest new theatre – the Nelum Pokuna, promises to resonate with the voices of more than two hundred and fifty young choristers on November 4 at 6.30pm, the steps towards a brighter future for our Paradise Isle are being taken.

Reverend Father Prasad Niranjan Fernando along with Dilruwan Fernando, President of the Batch of ’93 of St Sebastian College, Moratuwa along with the rest of the batch of ‘93 have been instrumental in organizing this mammoth presentation of choral singing by the 107 member choir of St Sebastian College, Moratuwa. The Rev Father says that progress happens when you expose the youth to technology and facilities that are future thinking.

Though the Nelum Pokuna has been far more expensive to hire than the BMICH where Echoes of Heaven I was held in 2008, Dilruwan Fernando was insistent that the young choristers should be exposed to facilities that their parents’ generation did not have, simply because that will ensure progress towards a better future not only for the youngsters but for the country too.

The Reverend Father who has built up the choir of the St Sebastions that is located in the musical village of Moratuwa has now given his charges over to the able hands of Mr Shihan Chamba, another gifted musician and old boy of St Sebastion’s College.

The choristers are being trained for the musical presentation however, by Andre David of the Colombo Music Festival fame. Andre David is the founder of the David Academy of Performing Arts and the very gifted son of iconic choral director Mary Anne David.

The brains behind Echoes in Heaven: Rev Father Prasad Niranjan Fernando, President batch of 93 – Dilruwan Fernando with an organiser. Picture by Geeth de Mel

Along with ST Sebastion’s College, the guest choirs of St Joseph’s Maradana, St Peter’s Bambalapitya, Holy Family Convent Bambalapitiya and Our Lady of Victories will also perform at the Nelum Pokuna on the 4th of November, totaling over 250 voices in one evening.

If the 2008 presentation of Echoes of Heaven was outstanding, then this year’s performance promises to be even more enthralling as the spectacular dancing of the Channa Upuli dancing troupe is also going to woven into the programme.

During the last presentation in 2008, Reverend Father Prasad Fernando surprised the children with the entry of Bhathiya and Santhush on stage, to sing alongside the choristers. What could be more inspiring for the young boys and girls from grade four to grade thirteen than to share the stage with Sri Lanka’s most successful singing duo. This year too, the Rev Father may pull a surprise for the choristers and the audience alike.

The evening promises to be one of great joy, enjoyment, singing, dancing and simply a huge uplift of the soul.