Sunday Times 2
St. Lucia’s Cathedral, Kotahena to resonate with Coronation Mass
View(s):By Shakya Wickramanayake
St. Lucia’s Cathedral, Kotahena will be witness to an amazing and deeply spiritual spectacle on Sunday, February 26 when over 300 voices will come together with a 30-member orchestra to sing Mozart’s Mass in C Major KV 317, also known as the ‘Coronation Mass’ at the solemn Eucharist celebration to commemorate ‘the year dedicated to Joseph Vaz’ – the Apostle of Sri Lanka.
The Mass, which will be concelebrated by Malcom Cardinal Ranjith together with 50 priests will be sung entirely in Latin. Often known as the “Latin Mass”, it has been described as the “most beautiful thing this side of Heaven”, and is an important tradition in the liturgy of the Catholic Church.
Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith at the news conference
At a news conference held on February 8 at the Archbishop’s House, Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith stated “[music is] always connected with the Christian worship forms”. Quoting St. Augustine, he said, “We believe that when you sing, you pray twice”.
The Mass will be sung by the choir, ‘Chorus Sacrum’, an ensemble brought together by Hasini Halpe Andree of the Peradeniya Singers, and Soundarie David Rodrigo, Musical Director of ‘Soul Sounds’, that will consists of over a hundred professional singers from the Peradeniya Singers, Camerati, Chorocant Amichi, Menaka Singers, the Soul Sounds Academy Choir, Archdiocesan Choir, the Colombo Philharmonic, the Old Joes’ Choir, Vox One, Vocal Essence, Contempo, St. Mary’s Choral Society and St. Peter’s College Choir.
The orchestra consisting of musicians from the Colombo Chamber Music Society, led by Lakshman Joseph De Saram, together with Chorus Sacrum, will be conducted by the British Maestro, Gregory Rose.
They will be supported by ‘Sri Lanka Pueri Cantores a choir of 200 students from leading colleges and convents, trained by Choral Director, Francis D’Almeida, and led by the St. Cecilia’s choir of St. Joseph’s College. The school choirs taking part are St. Joseph’s College, Colombo, St. Benedict’s College, Colombo, St. Sebastian’s College, Moratuwa, Loyola College, Negombo, Good Shepherd Convent, Colombo, Holy Family Convent, Colombo and Good Shepherd Convent, Panadura
Encouraged by the response received after the Classical Mass featuring the work of Ludwig Van Beethoven, held last year on February 14, at the Kotahena cathedral, the Archdiocese of Colombo, in a bid to reclaim the musical heritage of the church and introduce the younger parishioners to sacred music, hopes to make this an annual event.
The event will have a seating capacity for around 3000 people, to be seated in, and around the exterior of the cathedral. Giant screens and sound systems will be fitted outside the Cathedral, to broadcast the ceremony.