Mirror
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Singing
for God and country The festival, organised by the International Pueri Cantores Association, brings together young people from more than 170 choral groups and 27 countries to sing and get to know each other. The majority of countries that participate are European, and this is the first time a Sri Lankan choir is participating. According to the organiser, Marianne Johnpillai, the prospect of having a Sri Lankan entry left them all “very excited.” The only people who could be more excited would be the twenty young members of the choir. The students range in age from 12 to 17 and come from many different schools including St. Peter’s College, St. Joseph’s College, Wesley College, Holy Family Convent, St. Benedict’s College, Stafford International, and Colombo International School. Most of them have sung in choirs at church or at school, but they hadn’t come together as one group until February 2004. Marianne’s initiative is largely responsible for bringing these talented youth together. She has always been involved in music, especially at the Sacred Heart Church in Rajagiriya. When she saw an advertisement for the Chorfestival in a Catholic magazine called Zenith, she thought of young people here in Sri Lanka and knew it was “a good opportunity for them to meet people from other lands.” Fond of young people, she wanted people to understand “how much they have to give to the world.” Marianne didn’t actually have a choir at that point, so she decided to co-ordinate with Surein de S. Wijeratne. They agreed that he would train the young people and she would handle the organisation aspect. Marianne sent letters and notices out to various Catholic schools and churches, and received a lot of positive response. These students then auditioned with Surein and finally, twenty were selected. Since then they have been practicing at Marianne’s home three to four times a week for at least three hours. Even when their coach Surein cannot be there, the choir members are remarkably focused and dedicated. The Pueri Cantores Association sent them a choir book containing a selection of about sixty-five songs that can be sung during the event. The choir has chosen about twenty-five of them, even tackling songs written in French, Latin, and German. Led by Daniel (15), who takes over in Surein’s absence, and Sanjeev Dabare, the accompanist, the members correct each other, practice, and actually have a lot of fun. If they ever do get tired of the preset songs, the choir has also signed up to participate in an optional concert, on July 16. For this event, they’ve decided to portray their Sri Lankan identity, singing Sinhala, Tamil, and English songs. They will also be doing a cultural show complete with traditional dancing and plenty of Sri Lankan flags. The songsters will also have the opportunity to explore the culture of other countries. From July 11- 13 they will be staying with host families in Münster, a German diocese. They will sing at mass and church gatherings, but there will also be time for sightseeing and making new friends. After July 14 they will travel with their host choir to Cologne to participate in the “Grand Finale.” The festival is drawing near, and the choir members are very excited about it. Sharmali (16) has been involved in choir and singing, but she has never participated in an international event. She says she is “excited but in a way scared too.” What’s most exciting is that she’ll get to represent her country, especially in an event Sri Lanka’s never been involved in before. Dominic (13) agrees with her, saying its one thing to be involved in an inter-house or inter-school event, but this “we’re actually doing for Sri Lanka.” Their pride is understandable, because the members of the CCYC have, as Marianne says, “worked very hard.” The young people are hoping to sing their hearts out, make lasting new friendships, and show their pride for their country. And hopefully their voices are loud enough to carry the festival’s message of faith and goodwill to the rest of us. The sponsors who have come forward to assist the young choir in a myriad of ways are Brandix Ltd., Global Baggage, Growth Lanka, Eric Batiks, Dilmah Teas and Mabroc Teas. The choir would also like to thank Auxiliary Bishop Marius Peiris and Father Leonard Ranasinghe for their support. The choir is grateful for all the support they have received from the community because the “whole intention was to build community spirit.” Anyone wishing to support these young people financially can do so through the parish priest Father Leonard Ranasinghe at the Sacred Heart Church, Rajagiriya. |
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