Country Roads 2014: Lively tunes for a worthy cause
Two beautiful white horses tethered by the courtyard fountains at the Mount Lavinia Hotel hinted that something out of the ordinary was going on inside. A warm welcome at the entrance of the cacti-strewn Empire Ballroom from a cowboy courteously tipping his hat signalled the return of the Country Roads Concert. Music with the Power to Heal, the 2014 show in this long running series was held last Sunday.
Growing up with Country Roads: The children of the regular performers singing for the cause
Coming in for the lively tunes and the worthy cause, the evening was enjoyed by both first-time patrons and regulars alike. It was the 21st concert presented in the past 26 years by the Country Music Foundation who have been holding this concert to raise funds for children’s causes and projects with amazing dedication.
Making their first appearance at Country Roads, Anno Domini got the show off to a great start and set the stage for the other local bands that evening- the Cosmic Rays, and the
All the way from the UK: Astrid Brook
Country Revival band.
Folk singer Astrid Brook from the UK had the audience enrapt with her rendition of classic John Denver numbers, the Tennessee Waltz and even the haunting popular folk tune, ‘Poor wayfaring stranger’. Also happy to be back in their favourite sunny island, the Mavericks from Germany led by the charismatic Dirk delivered their brand of country music as they sang some signature Bob Dylan hits, a little bit of Elvis Presley and even an original number written for Sri Lanka with some entertaining asides thrown in.
All proceeds of this year’s Country Roads concert will be directed towards a project the CMF is undertaking with Save the Children. A first the world over, they are supporting a certification of tea products from Sri Lanka as being produced in a child-friendly
A neighing welcome at the hotel
environment.
A heart-warming addition to this year’s show was the regular performers at the concert sharing the stage with their children for the Dylan classic ‘Blowing In the Wind’. Nine-year-old Ramith Herath also had many bowled over by his talent when he sang the Lennon-McCartney favourite ‘Let it Be’. Fittingly the meaningful evening ended in customary fashion with all the performers gathering on stage to sing ‘Country Roads’.
The Mavericks: Enjoying the music