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An orchestra
of voices
By Ishani Ranasinghe
These
were the sound of "Vochestra" - an orchestra of voices,
who have been hard at practice since April. A fusion of four of
Colombo's top school choirs, they will be accompanied by a special
ensemble that consists of members of the Symphony Orchestra as well
as other professionals. The organizers
hope that this concert will be a forum where the participating choirs
can push the boundaries of conventional choral performance, experimenting
with alternative songs, innovative harmonies and modern fusion. Presented by
St. Benedict's College, 'Vochestra' follows the resounding success
of 'Songshine' for which they received an excellent response. The
choirs of Bishop's College, St. Bridget's Convent and St. Peter's
College joins the Bens in what promises to be a choral ensemble
like no other.
So what's in
store for Colombo audiences, I ask after seeing all the enthusiasm.
And who better to ask than Vochestra's music director himself. Kishan
Rodrigo is no newcomer to the choral music scene, having trained
the St. Benedict's choir for some time now. He is upbeat. The concert
will be "out of this world," he promises. "It's
going to be huge," says Kishan adding that it will be an orchestra
of voices hence the name "Vochestra". The concert will
feature all types of music catering to the audience's varying tastes.
"Most of the numbers we will be performing will be modern with
a choral effect," he said. "The concert is also about
showing that these youngsters can not only sing pop, but reach new
heights in choral music," he says.
Being
in charge of the musical side in the earlier concert and the choir's
participation in several events has enabled Kishan to gain the experience
needed to stage a concert of this nature. "After a lot of hard
work, it is great to see everything falling into place," he
says commenting that everything is going really well. The whole
concept of the orchestra coming in with the choir is what excites
him most, "trust me it's going to be superb" he says enthusiastically. For the young
choristers themselves, 'Vochestra' is proving a perfect opportunity
to enhance their talents and gain exposure in singing to larger
audiences. What's more, they also get the chance to interact with
other schools and make new friends. As Dilini Perera
of St. Bridget's Convent says, "We've learned a lot."
It's not her first time taking part in a concert of this nature,
she says, adding that it has all been good fun. The Bridgetines
will be singing songs from ABBA etc, she says, eyes twinkling, but
won't reveal too much about their performance. Bishop's College
will present a medley from "Sister Act" and "You'll
never walk alone". Choir leader Kithunika Cooray finds this
an excellent opportunity to get to know and interact with people.
"They have all been nice to work with." "A lot
of hard work but definitely worth it," adds Shalindra Perera
of St. Benedict's College. The Bens will be performing "I will
get there", "With a little help from my friends"
and "Awake the Harp" along with a few other numbers. The choir of
St. Peter's College has some gospel numbers lined up for the audience.
"This is a really good opportunity for all of us," says
Peterite Sean Jesudasan. Apart from
their individual performances, the four choirs will be coming together
to sing a few combined numbers from pop to classical. Realizing that
all concerts shouldn't the same and variety was needed, the organizers
have decided to set the platform for people to say, "Hey, we
also can be a bit different and try new things". According
to Kishan, it's about improving each day, trying out something new.
'Vochestra' is a stepping-stone to being different, unique and most
importantly, innovative. Tickets will
be available at St. Benedict's College, the Sponge Pastry Shop and
at the gates. The principal sponsor for this event is Ceylon Cold Stores while The Sunday Times will be the media sponsor. |
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