Blend of Voices

The music lovers in Sri Lanka are in for a rare musical treat as Sewalanka Foundation together with Concerts Norway, Aru Sri Art Theatre and the Norwegian Embassy present ‘Rustic Sounds’, a series of concerts by Norway’s premier harmony group Lucky 3 featuring Nils Christian Fossdal, Mattis Myrland and Hans Martin Austestad.

The trio will perform in collaboration with Sri Lanka’s own Soul Sounds (directed by Soundarie David) at the British School Auditorium in Colombo on June 8 at 7 pm. The concert will be a unique experience with a blend of male voices from Norway and female voices from Sri Lanka and will feature rural, American harmony singing Bluegrass, Gospels and much more. The entrance for this concert will be free of charge.

The artists are also scheduled to perform a series of concerts and workshops for children and youth in Colombo and Kandy along with a one-day master class for students of University of Visual and Performing Arts.

This is the 13th group of musicians touring Sri Lanka as part of a broader music cooperation established among Norwegian Embassy, Concerts Norway, Sewalanka Foundation and Aru Sri Art Theatre.

Norwegian Bands such as Ras Nas, the Indian Core, Nils-Olav Johansen Quartet, SISU, Classical Evergreens Opera, Kohinoor, Tindra, Fiddle & Dance, Sounds of Strings, Rolf-Erik Nystrom, Julie & Marie who toured Sri Lanka previously as well as the Galle Music Festival and Jaffna Music Festival took place as part of this programme.

When the singers Nils Christian Fossdal, Mattis Myrland and Hans Martin Austestad gathered around a microphone for film music recording in 2010, it instantly occurred that this would be strikingly beautiful. The movie soundtrack was titled ‘Happy, Happy’ and took home the highest award at the Sundance Film Festival the same year. In 2011 the movie was chosen to be Norway’s Oscar candidate. The trio, consisting of competent singers in several genres, have fallen in love with rural, American harmony singing Bluegrass, Old-Time Southern Gospel and Jubilee songs. They accompany themselves with guitar and banjo. They sing extrovert songs about love and loss, with voices ranging from the rumbling bass registers to lighter longings.

Nils Christian Fossdal is the Project Manager of Lucky 3. He graduated from the State Opera College and Conservatory of Music. He has directed and performed in several productions for Concerts Norway. He sang in the acclaimed male choir Gli Scapoli, and has long experience from musical theatre. He had a key role in the popular production ‘Mamma Mia’ at the National Theatre in Oslo.

Combined choir concert The combined schools choir of 92 singers, all students of St. Joseph’s College – Colombo, Good Shepherd Convent – Kotahena, Ave Maria Convent – Negombo and Maris Stella College – Negombo will leave shortly to perform in Rome, in June, this year. Their programme will include singing at the Pontifical Mass at 11 am on June 2 at St. Peter’s Basilica and a mass for the Sri Lankan community next day at 5.30 pm at the Basilica of the Twelve Apostles. This will be followed by an Exotic Choral concert at the same venue at 7 pm. They will also participate in singing at a Solemn Mass on June 5 at 5 pm at the Basilica of Mary Major, celebrated my Most Rev Mgr. Robert Tyrala. Incidentally Mgr. Tyrala is the President of Pueri Cantores International of which the four schools are members. They will sing before the Pope Benedict XVI on June 6th in general audience. The combined choir consists of boys and girls between the ages of 12-18 which are segmented into soprano, alto, tenor and bass. The choir will sing apart from Sinhala and Tamil compositions also in Italian, English, Greek, Latin and Hebrew. The selections include pieces from Mozart, Verdi, Beethoven, Handel and Allegri. Besides, the concert will cover classical, semi-classical, ethnic, folk, pop and spiritual compositions. Undoubtedly, this project titled ‘Sogni Romani’ (Roman Dreams) will become a milestone in the history of Sri Lanka and Italy.

Hans Martin Austestad graduated from the Norwegian Academy of Music in 2008 with a degree in jazz vocals. Hans also plays the Banjo and Guitar. He writes songs and is the bandleader for the bluegrass band Earlybird Stringband, who have been nominated for the Norwegian Grammy awards for two consecutive years, and has done touring around Europe. He has had several trips to the US to specialize in the bluegrass tradition.

After graduating from the Norwegian Academy of Music in 2007, Mattis Myrland went to New Delhi to study Hindustani Classical music with singer Madhumita Ray. He combines elements from this tradition with his singer/songwriter background, in the band Mattis & The Grand Trunk Road Ensemble.

He tours in and outside Norway with singer/songwriter Ingrid Olava, and has recently released a record in UK with the electronica duo mattisogjonas.

Ranked with some of the most renowned choirs in the world, Soul Sounds have enthralled many an audience both in Sri Lanka and abroad with their ability to reach out to the soul with their passionate music.

This premier female ensemble was the first choir in the country to venture into the world of international choral music, and have been truly musical ambassadors to Sri Lanka. They are the only choir to record an international album, in 2004 when they were asked to record a single for a Tsunami project where Soul Sounds, shared the stage with Cliff Richard, Bill Wyman of the Rolling Stones, Russell Watson (the famed contemporary tenor), Robin and Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees, Steve Winwood, Boy George, Chicago and others. Since then, this choir has not merely won gold medals at the World Choir Games, but have been the only choir that has had many concert tours on invitation.

Todate, they have travelled and performed in India, China, Australia, Austria, Kuwait, Austria, France, the USA and Malaysia.

They have specialized in gospel music with training from their International Conductor, Prof Mark Wilson, from the University of California, Berkeley. They were also asked to sing for Martin Luther King Jnr, during his visit to Sri Lanka in 2010.