Inspiring musical journey

Music has the power to touch the heart and mind of each and every one of us. It is a piece of inspiration. It provokes thought and feeling and brings joy and hope to thousands of people. In keeping with this theme, Natalie Gooneratne and Natasha Senanayake along with other talented young musicians and singers, brings to you Inspired…taking you on a musical journey of thoughts and impressions.

According to Natalie (25) and Natasha (20), the co-directors of Inspired…, the musical show evolved through the songs. As they say, most of these songs have provoked in them serious thought."We were inspired by these and wanted to share it with others," Natalie says, while Natasha adds that the programme was never a problem, for it sorted itself automatically. "We would just phone each other and say 'Oh I love this,' and that's how the whole thing came about really," she says.

Each song in the programme has been carefully selected to touch and inspire the audience at a personal level."Each song has meaning. It communicates different feelings of individuals and provokes serious thought on certain issues and situations faced by people.

They have an uplifting quality about them", Natasha says. What they hope to achieve, through the production, is that a certain message or thought would remain with the audience long after they leave the hall. The programme consists of a wide array of songs and Operatic Arias ranging from Mozart and Puccini to the more contemporary Mika, Enya and Josh Gorban as well as songs from much loved animated feature films and musicals.

"Some of these songs will be familiar to the audience, but it is our interpretation of it that they would hear," Natasha said, adding that this is what makes this concert unique and special. "Most of the songs have been arranged by Natasha," Natalie added.

The choir consists of friends "from all over the place" and the talented group of singers range from 18 to 30. The past Bridgeteen choir would be signing as well. "These are the people who like to sing and who were willing to join us. We are very privileged to have them and because they like what they are doing there is commitment and enthusiasm, which is very important for something like this", says Natalie. Inspired… would also feature one of Natasha's original compositions and performances by guest artistes Ayesha Casie Chetty on piano and Dominic Johnpillai on violin.

As Natalie and Natasha say, this concert is not just about singing. It's about getting to know people and connecting with others through music. Past pupils of Ladies College, this is their first production together, but it's certainly not their last. A soprano, Natalie is currently a private music teacher and is also preparing for her Fellowship in Singing from the Trinity College, London.

She will perform as a soloist with the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka later this year for their Young Performers Concert. A pianist, singer and teacher, Natasha was the co-director of A Grand Night for Singing, a concert with selections from Broadway musicals, held last year. An upcoming composer, several of her creations have been performed in public concerts.

Inspired… is to be held on April 6 at the Lionel Wendt Theatre from 7.30pm onwards. Tickets are available at Dwellings and Lionel Wendt. The main sponsor of the show is American College (Dehiwela) and the profits of the show will be contributed to the "Hearts and Hands" Tsunami victims' project.