Arts
‘In His Time’, a timely Gospel album from young singer
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Hope is perhaps a feeling most sought this Easter Sunday amidst the sickness and turmoil the world is gripped by. Sometimes, you’d find this hope within a song or prayer. Anila De Silva (22), a gifted young soprano has always found meaning and hope in Gospel music, the words of the songs reminding her that “God is living and that He cares deeply for people.”
This is just the message that is conveyed through her debut worship album, ‘In His Time’. The tracks on the record are her covers of renowned Christian praise and worship songs. Anila feels that anyone who listens to it, could also sing along and relate to the meaningful lyrics.
A Psychology student at Monash University, Malaysia, Anila says she has always felt God’s guidance in her life. When at prayer, she has seen signs, sometimes through visions and even through dreams.
But back in 2018, she suffered from a bad spinal problem for almost a year and was in and out of paralysis. At the time, she recalls the doctors giving up on her. “I gave up on God too.” With time, her condition worsened. However, just when she had nowhere else to turn, Anila experienced a miracle. She was cured.
Her faith restored, she wanted to sing her praises to God. ‘Ín His Time’ comes from the bottom of her heart and Anila explains that she has a strong connection to each song. In fact some of the songs were added to the album as a result of her visions from God, she tells us, citing the instance of how while in the recording studio once, she saw herself singing ‘You are my hiding place’ whilst praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, which she had been to in 2018 during a visit to the Holy Land. It made her feel calm and happy at the time.
The song ‘In His Time’, the title track of the album, was a result of Anila praying for her offer letter from the university. Their response was delayed and this left her scared and stressed. She asked God for an answer and a sign. And each time she prayed, the words of this song kept ringing in her head.
The tracks themselves have the ability to leave the listener at peace, whilst Anila’s melodious voice conveys the message of a much higher love that saves, during times of trouble.
Many of the other songs were ones which Anila was already familiar with, but, some she had never heard before. Yet, when they came to her, she connected with the lyrics and singing them felt like a prayer. “The words get to me everytime.”
As soon as a song ‘came’ to her, Anila would run to her father, renowned organist and musician Neranjan De Silva and ask to record it, sometimes even around two in the morning.
Her love for music stems from Neranjan, who inspires her, she says. And singing became her passion, because using her voice gave her a sense of happiness and calm. She recalls going for piano lessons at a young age – she enjoyed them but knew that this was not what she wanted to do.
Anila later joined the Soul Sounds Academy and singing descant in the choir gave her the exposure she needed. “I think singing requires a lot of discipline, and that’s something I learnt while singing with choirs,” she explains.
‘Ín His Time’ is also special to Anila because it was completed with the help of her family. Her father “is the backbone of this album, every melody and sound you hear in this album is his amazing work” while her mother Dayani would spend hours in the recording studio, helping her dad edit the recordings.
Listen too for the duet ‘God will make a way’ which features Anila’s brother Surekha. The two of them had last sung this a decade ago at their father’s 25th anniversary as an organist. This was also Anila’s first public performance and she recalls how having Surekha right next to her gave her confidence.
Still a little nervous before any performance, she says this passes when she starts feeling the song.
The album also features two of her good friends Rachel Brohier and Dilsarah Derrick in the song ‘I will pray for you’ which is inspired by Ishan De Lanerolle. Ishan has always been there for her and encouraged her, Anila says. She is also grateful to her sister- in- law, her best friend, and her past principal at Ladies’ College Nirmali Wickremasinghe for their support.
Anila hopes to pursue her love for singing, but this would depend solely on God’s plan for her, she tells us. In the meantime, she wishes her album would reach all communities and inspire people in their daily lives. Above all, she hopes it reaches anyone who needs comfort especially during this time, when we need prayer not just locally but globally as well.
‘In His Time’ can be accessed for free on-
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/0w72hqlf0mtl0xr/AADAtMEn1KgZJNqRf991wYb-a?dl=0
http://www.sundaytimes.lk/200412/
For more info on Anila- Follow her on Facebook @Anila de Silva -
Pics courtesy Anila De Silva