A burst of song

By Sharon Wijesuriya

On September 23, the Holy Family Convent Auditorium reverberated to the resounding sounds of the remarkable Revelations. Superbly supported by the Merry - An Singers, The Methodist College choir and the duo from Antonio’s Dance Circle, they provided an evening of enthralling entertainment.

The curtain rose to a blacked-out stage where only the silhouettes of the members of the Revelations were visible against a crimson backdrop. The music began to the sounds of Srimantha Senanayake’s brilliant rendition of Nessum Dorma – reminiscent of the master Pavarotti himself – as it filled the auditorium delighting the audience. The song ended with Pavarotti’s face appearing on the backdrop. This was a taste of what was to follow.

We were then treated to the Battle Hymn, ‘All that hath life and breath’ & ‘Wade in the water’ all rendered in perfect harmony, Revelations style. The Methodist College choir which was also featured came on stage next. Their interpretation of ‘Somewhere’ and ‘Special times’ was a special treat indeed. It was refreshing to see and hear Mahen Peiris, who now directs this choir, back in the fold after a break of some years from the Revelations.

The Revelations were back on stage for two upbeat Beatles numbers and this was followed by The Merry-An Singers directed by Mary Anne herself, joining the Revelations to perfectly harmonize the well loved Psalm ‘The Lord’s my Shepherd’.

The Revelations displayed their versatility in their choice of melodies which ranged from Gospel to doo wop, pop and even rock & roll. A novel feature of the evening was the invitation extended to other old Thomians in the audience who had been members of the Revelations in the past, to join the Revelations (who are predominantly old Thomians themselves) on stage for a couple of songs. Their classic version of ‘Old black Joe’ was deeply moving.

The concert was directed by Sanjeev Jayaratnam and produced by Enaksha Fernando and Ishan de Lanerolle. The Revelations were accompanied by Neranjan de Silva on keyboards, Christo Prins on drums and Ayesha Casie-Chetty on piano. Sound and lighting was handled by Krishan Jayaratnam & Anasuya Subasinghe, while the Revelations costumes were designed and sponsored by Lou Ching Wong.

There was a standing ovation as the curtain came down to a rousing chorus of When the saints go marching in – a fitting finale to a fantastic evening. This concert was a launching pad to the Revelations’ next destination – Jakarta, Indonesia where they intend to participate in the Asian Choir Games from November 1-10, 2007. Well done boys – we wish you all success.