Gospel and Thanksgiving at MLH

As Thanksgiving is celebrated in the US and known for being the celebration for the harvest of the year, Mount Lavinia Hotel has taken the same notion to thank all their patrons for a good year.

This November 22, Thanksgiving will be celebrated with US Gospel Pianist Allan Tate who will celebrate the day with gospels specifically written for the occasion, serving as a reminder of the significance of thanks. The entertainment for the evening at MLH will be provided by Sri Lanka's much sought after all boy acapella group Voice Print along with the Olivier Franc Jazz Ensemble and the sultry voice of beautiful Gabrielle Jeanselme.

Gabrielle Jeanselme is a professional classical concert pianist and jazz singer who completed her studies at the National Conservatory of Music of Lyon, France. Aside from performing regularly as a classical concert pianist, she developed skills as a jazz singer and is featured in both kinds of festivals and concert halls nowadays and a well recognized artist in both worlds. She is a great admirer of Billie Holiday and she sings standards made popular by Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Nancy Wilson and also Fats Waller, Louis Armstrong. She performs in prestigious Parisian Jazz Clubs like Le Petit Journal Montparnasse or le Lionel Hampton Jazz Club at Meridien Hotel Paris.

Allan Tate is a master of Gospel and Blues music. Being a very moving singer and virtuoso piano player, he started to play in churches across the US in places like New Orleans in the late 50's and stayed there up to the 60's. He played for a while in duo with the Legendary Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Then he moved to New York City, where he is based nowadays.His career took a new direction in 2011 with successful European concerts and festivals in France and Germany.

On the menu:

Cold - Cheese with apple salad, Vegetable chop salad, Cold roast beef with horseradish sauce, Assorted sausage salad, Apple and potato salad, Red cabbage and apple summer slaw, BBQ pork salad with fruit and honey-balsamic vinaigrette, Ranch style chicken salad, B.L.T. salad with basil dressing and croutons, Spicy corn and pepper salad.

Carvery - Whole roasted turkey with natural jus and cranberry sauce, Roasted lamb leg with rosemary jus, Glazed studded ham with grain mustard sauce.

Soup - Fall spice pumpkin soup

Bread Station - Country corn bread, Herbed cheese biscuits, Assorted breads.

Sides - Bourbon glazed brussels sprouts with pancetta, Green bean casserole, Cinnamon & honey glazed carrots, Chorizo and corn hash, Sage and sausage stuffing,

Traditional herbed stuffing, Herb smashed potato with country gravy, Baked sweet potato.

Dessert - Pecan pie, Caramelized apple pie, Pumpkin pie, Fall berry mousse, Chocolate fudge cake, Cream cheese iced red velvet cake, Traditional spiced carrot cake.

Because of the longstanding traditions of the holiday, the celebration has extended to the weekend. The lighting of the Christmas Tree will occur on November 23 followed by a Tribute to Jazz legend Sidney Bechet on November 24 with Olivier France's Jazz Ensemble. Historically, Thanksgiving looks like MLH's door to the festive season as they seem to have their act together when they surface iconic traditions that are rooted in religious and cultural traditions, into the season and the excitement of the season.