Eclectic collection of choral styles

Collage Cantabile, a choral extravaganza will be presented by the Ladies' College Choir celebrating 75 years on September 22 and 23 at 7 p.m. at the Ladies’ College Hall.

The word Cantabile is Italian for 'In a singing style,' and thus the concert is a collage of an eclectic collection of choral styles and traditions presented within one frame.

Ladies' College has been at the heart of developing western classical music in Sri Lanka.There have been numerous international scholarship and competition winners in the field of music who received a firm musical foundation by being involved in the school choir, throughout the generations.

The choral tradition has its roots in the worship services that begin each day at Ladies' College. This was introduced by the early foreign principals who valued the gift of music and nurtured it. Mabel Simon, (Principal 1946 - 1963) would personally train and conduct singing lessons for the students. Each principal that followed has upheld and promoted the musical growth of the school. The first concert, which exclusively featured the Ladies' College Choir, performing a variety of choral styles, was held in 2004 with the guidance and support of the present principal, Nirmali Wickremesinghe.

The different elements of the collage in Collage Cantabile, include classical, jazz, fusion and more contemporary and popular selections of music.

The concert serves certain valuable purposes for both the audience and the performers. It is educational, in that music mirrors history, and the concert includes music that spans three hundred years. It is entertaining all the way because of the wide range of moods and styles and the dramatic and animated nature of some of the compositions.

In the classical genre, the choir will be performing some of the best– known and more challenging compositions by the greatest composers of all time– Bach, Handel, Mozart to name a few.

Many of these compositions will be enhanced by the Ladies' College orchestra, who will also be performing in the concert. Some of the classical works will be presented with a fresh and novel perspective, which is bound to capture the enthusiasm of the audience and keep them spellbound. Most of the spirituals are classical in style along with more modern worship and gospel songs.

The Disney Medley features the Junior and Intermediate choirs. They will also join the senior choir, at which point there will be over 150 voices singing together.

The Stevie Wonder medley will highlight sublime harmonies and rhythms that give us new sights and sound.

Another unique highlight is the original composition of Mignone Fernando, whose compositions are internationally acclaimed, and Natasha Senanayake, the Ladies' College Choir leader of 2005 and A/level music student. Many of Natasha's compositions have been written for the Ladies' College Choir.

Mignone's compositions are inspired by a vision for a Sri Lanka that is "One Voice, One Nation, One Hope Having One Dream" (the words of Mignone's song), which will be sung by "One Voice Uplifting." (in the words of the school song). The Ladies' College choir owes much of its success to Christine Perera, a teacher who committed a large part of her time, talent and skills to consolidate the choir at Ladies' College over a large period of time. During the time she taught singing in the school, the choir was the winner of several all– island competitions, and there were many operettas, cantatas and musicals performed by the school.

Today many of her students train choirs involved in a musical capacity from their churches to their places of work in their daily lives.

The present director of the choir, Sureka Amerasinghe, who is also a past pupil of Christine Perera, has continued to uphold the standard of the choir and music at Ladies’ College.

This concert marks a decade of dedication and service to the school given by her. In addition to directing the choir, she also directs the Ladies’ College western music orchestra, teaches both ordinary level and advanced level music and also is in charge of the Ladies' College music society.The choreography for this concert will be done by Sureka Buell and lights and stage management will be by Akhry Ameer.