TV Times

TV Times

Colombo Philharmonic Choir: 1955-2005
The Colombo Philharmonic Choir, one of the oldest classical music choirs in this country, began its Golden Jubilee year programme with a presentation of Sacred Music at the Ladies College Chapel, last April.

The Choir had its beginnings when some members of the combined choirs of the Maradana and Kollupitiya Methodist Churches, met and decided to form, in the words of its first secretary, "a properly constituted choral group" under the direction of the late Gerald Cooray Professor of Geology, way back in August 1955.

Sri Lanka or Ceylon as it was then called, was a very different place. Life moved at a peaceful, orderly and leisurely pace in a country that was still glowing in the sunset of the transition period after independence.

There were no dearth of talented voices willing to devote time to practicing and singing the classics. Some of the early programme catalogues reflect this period and its ethos perfectly. The advertisements talk of Austin cars, long play records of Christmas Carols from Lewis Brown and Co. and of Murphy Radios offered by Richard Pieris & Co, for 'pleasant listening', while the concert programmes were sold at fifty cents!.

Ralph Vaughan William's was an early patron of the Choir while a concert in 1956 featured the celebrated tenor Peter Pears with Benjamin Britten at the piano and the late Dr. Christopher Canagaretna at the violin. Professor Gerald Cooray was followed as conductor by Paul Jeyarajan and then by Kalasuri Lylie Godridge, who was himself an early chorister and soloist of the CPhC., Lylie conducted the choir until 1998.

The Choir had a brief but very fruitful period under the baton of one of its former members, soloists and past Presidents, Mary Ann David. Its present conductor is Manilal Weerakoon who is also an associate conductor of the Symphony Orchestra. It would not be out of place to say that under him the Choir has risen to greater heights in the sensitive interpretation of the music it performs.

Fifty years on, the Philharmonic finds itself in a much changed Colombo. The frenetic activity and demands of modern day life mean that fewer people can devote the time and the commitment required for learning and mastering their parts and for long, regular and at times tiring practices (mostly after a long days work!) needed to put it all together and bring a choral music programme up to acceptable standards for a public performance. The small world of classical music adherents have shrunk even further. Amateur Group such as the Philharmonic, who are limited to the performance of music of a particular genre cannot in any way hope to compete with the more 'livelier', popular and lucrative fare on offer in the marketplace.

And despite all these drawbacks, the Phil has succeeded in carrying on the torch, retaining the loyalty and commitment of its older members while attracting younger people to the not perhaps very popular life of a chorister of a classical choral group. It has forged a spirit of togetherness, that will certainly stand it in good stead as it looks to the future, finding richness and fulfillment in the singing and interpretation of the inspiring and wonderful music of the masters.

The Philharmonic presents its main Jubilee Year Concert at the Lionel Wendt on October 7.

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