I’ve heard of, and even had the privilege of witnessing some amazing Opening Acts before, but nothing quite prepared me for what the Old Joes Choir (OJC) had up their sleeves last Sunday! Their original Overture arrangement, created in-house by Choral Director - Eshantha Peiris and assisted by Nicole Liyanage, completely blew me away! Having heard it a cappella, I can only imagine how it’ll sound like when the orchestration kicks in, at ‘Amore’ – A Heart’s Journey Through Song,’ which hits the boards at 7.30 p.m, on October 2 and 3, at the British School Auditorium.
 |
Having listened to the OJC from inception, one of the first things that struck me about this particular mix of voices, was, despite their varied ages, they seemed to be of the same “vocal age.” Having just coined that term, let me better explain myself. The absolute “oneness” in their tone and blend of voices this time around, seems to be almost too good to be true! This is particularly noteworthy considering the number of new recruits, and exodus of veterans, the OJC has had adapt to, this time around.
Yet another highlight of the show’s line-up, was Choral Director – Geethika Cooray’s original, ‘She Gets By.’ “The lyrics to this song were actually written by Nilshan Perera, a close friend of mine, whilst I composed the music, melody and piano parts etc. The song is about a break-up, and how the boy who is devastated by it, struggles to deal with the reality that the love of his life has moved on. It was written in 2008, and recorded then as a fully fledged song, complete with orchestration etc.,” explains Geethika, of his masterpiece. However, the version the OJC will be performing is an acappella version of the song, which simulates the notes of the piano vocally. Having never actually heard him behind a mike, it was sheer music to my ears to hear him take on the solo part of this song. Only having heard a snippet, I can’t wait to hear how the rest of the composition evolves.
 |
| Choir leaders - Rehan Almeida and Shevanka Fernando |
Taking on popular music in a line-up is just as much challenging as it is enjoyable, if not more so. When you perform songs that an audience is very familiar with, there’ll obviously be a lot of expectation in the air. Especially when you re-arrange solo songs for a chorus, you stand to run the huge risk of not delivering. This however could not be more untrue of the OJC’s selection of some all time classics, from some of the music industry’s biggest names!
The Choral Directors (Eshantha, Geethika and Migara Luvis), have, with their immense originality and musicality, done more than justice to these songs!
“This time around was also especially unique because the Choral Directors held many workshops for the choir, where everyone was given the freedom to explore harmonies outside of their allotted parts, be creative, and think out-of-the-box. Thereafter, the Directors would gather all the ideas and re-create something completely novel from scratch. In addition, we’re also tackling a whole new repertoire this time around, so it’s been quite a challenge from day one. Also, Migara and Geethika paid special attention to the newcomers, so as to ensure that their voices blended in well with the rest of the group, as the OJC style of singing is quite different to that of the College choir,” elaborated Choir Leader – Shevanka Fernando.
“The concept of this time’s show is completely different, as we’ve never had a theme for the show before. Also, as there’s a certain element of acting involved, it’s also not something most choir have attempted before. However, with regard to the execution of the show, we’ve maintained the unique OJC touch, which has worked well for us over the years, so we saw no need to change it. Camaraderie has always played a significant role in the OJC, and even though the age gaps might be vast in some cases, it doesn’t even factor in. However, the new entrants are very respectful of the seniors, even though they’re not made to feel young,” adds Gihan Jayatilleke, the most senior member of the OJC.
 |
| Choral directors - Eshantha Peiris , Migara Luvis and Geethika Cooray |
Two of the “babies” in the choir, Akhila Jayasena and Darren Hakel, share their thoughts on debuting with the OJC. “Having both sung in the College choir since 2002, joining the OJC was like a dream to us, because many of these guys were our choir leaders at College at some point in time, so we at least wanted to sing with the OJC for the Carols this year. Luckily though, we managed to get this opportunity to sing with them even before December.
At the point we joined after our A/L’s, they had already more or less completed around 8 songs. However, with the help and support of the rest of the choir, we were able to catch up without too much trouble. When we used to hear the OJC practice when we were in College, we used to think it would be like rocket science to learn, but, when you actually get down to it, it’s not all that bad,” they said in tandem.
‘Amore’ – A Heart’s Journey Through Song,’ hopes to transcend all known bounds of musicality and entertainment, and is billed to be a night not to be missed!
- Choreography: Jerome L. De Silva
- Accompanists: Eshantha Peiris (Piano), Rukshan Aponso (Keyboards), Christopher Prins (Drums), Sarani Perera (Guitar) & Uvindu Perera (Bass Guitar).
- Guest Performance: Contempo,
- Cast: Ashini Fernando, Dulika Jayamanne & Shannon Misso
- Sponsors:
Main Sponsor – Air Arabia
Co-sponsor – Dimo
Lifestyle Partner – Genelle Shoes
Official Print Media Sponsor – The Sunday Times
Official Radio Station – TNL Lite
Tickets are now available at the Auditorium. The proceeds of which will go towards the purchase of a new organ for the College Chapel.
|
E-mail
