Kandy relishes an evening of resounding music
View(s):St Paul’s Church, one of Kandy’s most iconic buildings, has hosted choral recitals, pageants, nativity plays, and German Trumpet Choirs in the past but in recent years, especially after the Maligawa bomb blast resulted in the region being declared a high security zone, events have been largely restricted to church services and weddings.
Glorious setting: The choirs and soloists at St. Paul’s Church, Kandy. Pic by Ashwin Dominique Jayalath
The clock was turned back on October 24, when the de Lanerolle brothers, together with the choirs of Trinity College, Hillwood College, Good Shepherd Convent and St. Anthony’s College, provided an evening of sacred music entitled “Praise in Harmony.”
The programme was the brainchild of Mrs. Dilangani Bhareti, the organist at St Paul’s, who had requested the brothers to perform in the church after attending a similar programme at Trinity College.
Since there were more than a hundred choristers from the four schools, a good representation of parents and well wishers was expected but numbers overall were astounding.
Sustained advertising had resulted in a packed church—some even used the steps leading to the choir loft to witness the performance. A very eclectic audience (including many who were non Christians) applauded all items enthusiastically.
There was something in this performance for everyone. To the traditionally-minded, the two Congregational hymns “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of Creation” and “Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven” (sung with considerable gusto) were most endearing.
Not only were they in sync with the theme of the evening but also allowed the audience to listen to the Pipe Organ which along with the Eventide home constitute the two ventures to which the proceeds from this performance will be disbursed.
Franz Schubert’s “Ave Maria” masterfully sung by the de Lanerolle brothers at the beginning of the programme would also come within this category of the traditional.
Variety was also provided by the very energetically rendered African-American spiritual “Joshua Fought the battles of Jericho” by Trinity and the mellifluous strains of John Rutter’s “For the Beauty of the Earth” by Hillwood.
Good Shepherd Convent’s version of “Potter’s Hand” constituted yet another change in tempo as it insistently conveyed Darlene Joyce Zschech’s notion of totally submitting oneself to God’s will.
Finally, in its haunting rendition of “Moment of Peace,” which was written by Carsten Heusmann and Amelia Brightman, the St. Anthony’s College choir conveyed to the audience what the world yearns for in these times of war. Although each choir performed two items, these were my personal favourites.
The de Lanerolle brothers and the organist Neranjan de Silva are professionals and the audience knows what to expect when they get on stage which is why this account has not focussed too much on their contributions.
From the disarming simplicity of “Bless This House” to the passionate intensity of “Great Is Thy Faithfulness,” the principal artistes fulfilled all expectations and sometimes exceeded them with the seven items they sang alone.
Their greatest challenge, however, was to combine with the others for the first time.
That the highlight of the evening was indubitably the moment they got together with the four choirs to sing the ever popular “I Will Give Thanks to Thee,” “I Vow to Thee My Country”and“The Holy City” after perhaps just a single practice says much about the adaptability and talent of all the performers.
This was a moment to relish “Praise in Harmony” not necessarily to insist on musical exactitude. That there were a few glitches it must be said.
Hesitancy at the beginning of some of the school choir items and the sopranos being occasionally diffident in reaching some of the high notes did enervate the performance.
But to dwell on such factors would be carping. The evening was a resounding success.
What was most gratifying to me was to see a diplomat attached to a foreign mission insisting on making an extra contribution to the church soon after the performance had ended.
Obviously, she felt that the recital meant much more to her than the cost of the programme which enabled her to attend. Perhaps the gesture also suggested that Kandy is starved of events of this kind and institutions, like St Paul’s, need support to organise such programmes in the future.
-Walter Perera