Soprano Anagi Perera will present her debut recital, ‘Amigos Para Siempre’ (Friends for Life), a selection of operatic arias, art songs and popular Broadway pieces, at the Russian Cultural Centre on October 1 at 7.30 p.m.
Anagi has been a soloist with several choral societies in Colombo. She is a soprano soloist in the Camarata Musica chamber choir, and has performed Haydn’s ‘Little Organ’ Mass, Mozart’s Requiem, Purcell’s Funeral Music for Queen Mary, Vivaldi’s Gloria, Bach’s ‘Jesu, Meine Freude’ and Mozart’s’Coronation’ Mass in C major. She was also a soloist with the Colombo Philharmonic Choir.
Anagi’s love for singing began at an early age, in the Methodist College choir. Filled with a passion for song, she began professional voice training with the inimitable Kalasuriya Lylie Godridge, at the age of eight. She recalls with great affection the many hours spent with the maestro who trained her at no cost, to help her develop her vocal capabilities. After Godridge’s demise she continued her training under the late Ruwanie Siemon with whom she completed all her singing exams with the Trinity College of Music London.
She now studies under Menaka de Fonseka Sahabandu, who will be accompanying her on the piano at the recital.
The concert programme includes arias such as ‘Pur dicesti, o bocca bella’ and ‘O del mio dolce ardor’. The former aria (You have just said ‘yes’ me love, after I kissed you and I am so happy) is a 17th century composition by Antonio Lotti.
The latter aria (O thou my own true love) is from Gluck’s opera Paris and Helen.
The programme will also feature arias from Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro and Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi; as well as songs by Rossini, Gabriel Faure and Cesar Franck.
Songs from much loved musicals will be Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘Another suitcase another hall’ from Evita, Rogers & Hammerstein’s ‘You’ll never walk alone’ from Carousel and ‘In my life’ from the popular musical Les Misérables. The recital takes its name also from Amigos Para Siempre (Friends for Life), which Webber wrote for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
The programme will also feature guest performances by Laknath Seneviratne (Bass), Satish Casie Chetty (Violin) and the Menaka Singers singing a classical work by Mendelssohn and two popular songs by Stevie Wonder and John Lennon.
The concert is in aid of the Child without Sorrow Foundation, and the date on which it is being held, International Children’s Day, was especially chosen. Mother of two girls aged 7 and 2, Anagi says that it was only after becoming parents themselves that she and her husband Harith were made aware of the sad plight of underprivileged children. The ‘Child without Sorrow’ Foundation is their contribution towards providing needy children with life’s necessities, and was founded with a group of friends.
For concert tickets please call 0772-227272. |
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