‘This is My Story’: Old Joes choir looks back in song
Some of the members at rehearsals. Pic by Anuradha Bandara
Rewind 20 years. Francis Almeida joins St. Joseph’s College as their new choir master. A new old boy, Navindra Abeyesekera finds himself back at the college grounds assisting the school rugby team. An encounter between the two sparks a conversation about music. “I mentioned that I had sung in the school choir,” recalls Navindra. Together with the support of Mr. Almeida, Navindra and eight other recent old boy choristers would make a guest performance that year at the school carol service.
If one strolls through the College parking lot or the leafy courtyard on a week night or a Sunday evening, it is not unusual to catch glimpses of the original nine. Only now, the strains that echo through the music room and the chapel are richer, stronger. Nine voices multiplied into 40-50, singing in six to nine part harmony. Melting into one unique tone that is the Old Joes Choir.
On March 19, the OJC will celebrate 20 years of choral singing with “This is My Story” – an evening of thanksgiving and praise that will showcase a broad expanse of spiritual music performed in the distinct style of the boys of OJC.
“We each had our own style by that time,” explains Dilhan de Silva, of their debut at the school carol service. All recent school leavers at the time, Dilhan, Navindra and the others were all members of different choral groups and choirs, each making their mark as soloists and performers in different genres. “But we had all sung together at some point,” they explain, the connection that even in 2017 still holds the continually growing group together.
The OJC’s first show “Preghiera (1997)” took place in the school chapel. It is now the haunt of their practices and by next week, their latest show. The group has produced several concerts, dabbling in different genres, creating new and different arrangements and finding a niche in the barbershop genre. With a gold and silver awarded at the World Choir Games 2014 in the barbershop and sacred music categories, “This is My Story” will showcase both genres, with the OJC adding their signature twist to the music.
“Our focus is on the choir,” Navindra says of their objective as a group. The 40+ group consists of recent school leavers to the founders such as Dilhan and Navindra- both in their 40s’. However, the leadership of the choir changes every two years, with each member learning the how to’s of management and everybody contributing to both the musical and administrative work of the group. “This way we concentrate on the system and not the person,” they say.
What captured the attention of Nigel Lord, 23, one of two choir leaders (together with Nirantha Wijesekera) were the diverse styles and theatrics that complimented the OJC style of singing. Although Nigel had seen the OJC make guest performances at the school carol services every year, he vividly remembers watching their show “Amore (2010)”. “It was more than a show. It was theatre too”. Outside of their practices, the strong ties of their musical brotherhood extend to get together and the eagerly looked forward to “Granny Awards” – an annual event where “everybody gets a quirky award”. As their practice session morphs from chilling Gregorian chants to Heavy Latin pieces and toe tapping spiritual numbers he hopes their audiences will enjoy the uplifting music that matches the gratitude and joy that follows their musical journey.
Geethika Cooray and Nishantha Warnakulasuriya, choral directors have lent their creativity towards the choir’s distinct arrangements.
“This is My Story”, an evening of thanksgiving and praise celebrating 20 years of choral evolution will take place on March 19 from 6.30 p.m. onwards at the St. Joseph’s College Chapel.
Entrance is free.