Christmas isn’t truly Christmas until you find yourself humming a familiar seasonal tune. This year’s rendition of “Joy To The World” organised by the Archdiocese of Colombo and the Blessed Joseph Vaz Trust promises to be a concert packed with everything from traditional to contemporary carols.

The Lanerolle Brothers and below, Voice Print

This year’s special addition to the star studded line –up are the sensational soprano Helen Massey and renowned pianist Caroline Jaya Ratnam both here from the UK especially for this concert. They will be performing with the Lanerolle Brothers with whom they previously shared the limelight in the Lanerolle Brothers’ classical concert this September.

“Collaborating with Helen and Caroline has been a breeze” says Ishan De Lanerolle. Audiences in Sri Lanka and in London where they performed together thought that the wonderful blend and collaboration they witnessed was a longstanding collaboration or long practice hours, which was simply not the case, he says – they just gelled beautifully.

The brothers will be performing songs dear to their hearts such as “O Holy Night” which according to Ishan they have sung from their boyhood days of toppling the family’s Christmas tree, up until the present.

Also performing at the concert will be a choir of schoolchildren “as Christmas is never complete without them” according to Rohan De Lanerolle. The two children’s choirs are directed by veteran choir director Francis Almeida. “The junior choir will be students of Good Shepherd Convent Kotahena, St. Bridget’s Convent and St. Lawrence Convent Wellawatte who will be performing traditional songs such as ‘Ave Maria’. “This year is dedicated to Mother Mary,” explains Mr. Almeida adding, “at this time when violence against women is at its peak, I hope through this music that the Blessed Mother will be seen as a human representing comfort and refuge to fellow humans and not some far-off spiritual being.” The primary school choristers will be performing with scholarship winning contralto Nilmi Fernando.

The senior students who constitute a choir of about 100 voices called ‘Pueri Cantores’ are drawn from St. Joseph’s College, St. Lawrence Convent and Maris Stella College Negombo.. They will be joined by 18-year-old Imesh Wijewardane who is awaiting the results of his application for a scholarship at the Royal Academy of Music in London.

“Being on stage with international artists like Helen, Caroline and even the De Lanerolle Brothers gives our children the exposure they need and they come alive on stage with such inspiration,” observes Mr. Almeida.

Award-winning acapella ensemble Voice Print will also be a part of this concert to give the audience a taste of their contemporary take on traditional tunes. Being known for their superlative vocal percussion and energetic performances they hope to put their spin on Christmas, presenting ‘Christmas Print’ along with some Sinhala songs and even a segment inspired by country and folk music.“We have from the inception of ‘Joy To The World’ been a part of it,” says Michael Sathasivam of Voice Print adding that just as they have grown as a group this concert too has flowered over the years. Inspired by the work and nature of The Blessed Joseph Vaz Trust Voice Print has pledged that they “will continue to be a part of it because it is part of the group’s tradition.”

“Joy To The World” will be held on Saturday, December 14, at the Nelum Pokuna Mahinda Rajapaksa Theatre at 7 p.m.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.ticketslk.com or at Sarasavi Bookshop (Nugegoda and Maharagama branches,) Sadeepa Bookshop (Borella,) Vibrations (Union Place,) Yamaha Music Centre and Vanapetha Bookshop (Dehiwala.)
Tickets may also be purchased on the services offered by Dialog by dialling 444.