With a song in their hearts

And so they sang and sang, from the depths of their souls and the bottom of their hearts - transporting the audience through complex genres and a synthesis of voices guaranteed to give goose bumps.

The Revelations, comprising a group of Old Thomians have evolved since 1994, when their first performance Kaleidoscope led by Sanjeev Jayaratnam and Mahen Peiries spanning early church monk chanting to the complicated Bohemian Rhapsody kept the audience enthralled.

Good Vibrations which ran to packed houses on two nights was less heavy, but certainly more challenging in the composite array and arrangements the group had put together as their repertoire.

Beginning and ending with the title song of their concert, Good Vibrations by the Beach Boys, the enthusiasm and excitement The Revelations imbibed from each other throughout the 1 ½ hour performance was infectious. The audience joined in, clapping their hands, tapping their toes and snapping their fingers in time to the music with animated applause at the end of each song.

The programme proper began with the traditional spiritual Swing low, Sweet chariot. Broadway and West End musicals as well as songs from Walt Disney films were prominent features and good choices too, considering that the group did more than justice to some of the arrangements, making them even more complex than they already are but certainly heavenly to the ear! The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, West Side Story, Showboat, A Little Night of Music, Les Miserables and a stellar performance by brothers Ishan and Rohan de Lanerolle in All I ask of you from The Phantom made up the showbiz side of the concert. Rohan’s powerful baritone and Ishan’s deep bass which did justice to Old Man River are also worthy of mention.

The group members had voices that complemented each other but were unique on their own. While the soloists were remarkable, the perfect harmony infused into each song by the rest of The Revelations, was sure proof of the wide experience and passion for music that each brought to the stage. Srimanthaka Senanayake and Christopher Godridge whose musical lineage like most of the others in the group was amply demonstrated that night through I Only Have Eyes For You and Only You, also surprised the audience with a bit of well rehearsed British comedy – enjoyed greatly by the audience.

An excellent rendition of the Eagles’ I can’t tell you why and Eric Clapton’s Change the World by Sanjeev Jayaratnam brought in the added dimensions of transcending musical eras as did the medley of Beatles hits, Eight days a week, Yesterday and All my loving by Charith Peiris, Srimanthaka Senanayake and Rohan de Lanerolle. The Herman’s Hermits I’m into something good again by Rohan, a ditzy version of Mary Lou and Manoj Singanayagam’s solo rendition of Help me Rhonda which brought down the curtains to the evening’s performance had the audience enthusiastically swaying in their seats.

A poignant moment for the group was Bring Him Home, an emotive dedication to his nephew by Manoj (whom most remember for an excellent performance as Fagin in a recent production of Oliver.) His rendition of Can You Feel the Love Tonight was moving and displayed his range and versatility.

Sanjeev Jayaratnam excelled as Choir Director but it’s certainly an advantage to have the other ten in the group blessed with an abundance of talent, excellent ear and a high sense of discipline which was evident right throughout. It was this that saw the director’s each little nuance followed to the last detail and each Acappella turning out to be flawless and precise to the last note. While white polo necked outfits donned for the second half were not too complimentary on some of the physiques, the other negative point for the evening was that the rich timbre of some of the voices like Sanjeev, Charith and Asanka Perera (the two mentioned latterly being the youngest in the Group) would have benefited from a discreetly placed microphone, giving a subtle, yet necessary volume for the soloists. But every song was delivered to perfection, each of them singing well within themselves and singing with passion and with meaning and most of all with the joy to sing and to be heard.

Meant as a fundraiser for their ambition to compete at the Asian Choir Games, in Jakarta in November this year, the group’s versatility, talent and showmanship will certainly hold them in good stead to compete shoulder to shoulder with some of the world’s best choirs.

More concerts are planned. The Revelations, while also running The Revelations Academy of Performing Arts and Creativity undertakes bookings for weddings and corporate functions to boost their competition travel coffers. If we are to see these musical ambassadors place a positive flag of Sri Lanka on the world map, now’s the time to support them.
(SR)