Your favourite carol services are back this year; some virtual, some live
Soul Sounds: Ringing in Christmas with a carol
When December dawns, we wait to hear those well-loved Chritsmas carols and most of us, have our own special favourites.
Going to carol services and Christmas concerts organised by schools, churches and private choirs in and around Colombo is for many, a highlight of the season. Dating back to our colonial past, many Catholic and Christian churches and schools hold their carol services in the weeks before Christmas, with students, teachers, past students, clergy and parents enthusiastically ushering in Christmas through song.
Sadly, due to the restrictions and safety concerns posed by the COVID-19 pandemic many schools, churches, private choirs and voice coaches have decided to put their carol services and concerts on hold until normalcy returns.
“Unfortunately, I’m not inclined to do virtual concerts. I guess I belong to a generation that enjoyed rehearsing and performing to a live audience,” said founder of the Merry-An Singers and well loved voice coach Mary Anne David.
Other crowd favourites, such as the all-female vocal ensemble Camerati, have also decided to lie low this month.
On the other hand, Academy Founder and Music Director Soundarie David Rodrigo, is once again directing “Moods of Christmas”, featuring Soul Sounds. The show will be on December 21 at the Atrium of the Cinnamon Grand Hotel in Colombo 3, from 6 p.m. onwards.
Many leading Christian and Catholic schools in Colombo such as St. Benedict’s College in Colombo 13 have decided to showcase virtual carol services. These will either be live streamed or pre-recorded and shared on YouTube and social media such as Facebook.
St. Benedict’s College will have its annual carol service on December 22 from 6 p.m. The school’s teachers, administrators and Old Boys Union are organising the service. The school choir and Voice.Print, an award winning band and acapella group made up of St. Benedict’s College Old Boys, will be performing. The carol service will be streamed live on the St. Benedict’s College and the St. Benedict’s College Old Boys Union Facebook pages.
St Peter’s College’s in Colombo 4 will have its annual carol service “When a child is born” on December 18 at 7 p.m. The Peterite Chorale will perform along with the school’s main choir, teachers’ choir, primary choir, western band and the Peterite Brass Ensemble, made up of old boys. This too, will be held virtually, and streamed live on the Peterite Media YouTube Channel, from the college chapel.
The Old Joes Choir too, has held back from organising a Christmas concert this year but will be singing carols on December 19 from 7 p.m – 8 p.m at the Gallery Café in Colombo 3.
Even though the festive season this year might be somewhat subdued, hopefully many will be able to enjoy live and pre-recorded Christmas carols courtesy of some of the country’s best singers and musicians, from the safety and comfort of their homes.
Schools come together for Voices of Unity
A special carol service ‘Voices of Unity’ presented by the Office of National Unity and Reconciliation will see schools from across the island joining together to herald the message of Christmas, raising their voices in harmony, with the theme of harmony and unity they would like extended between all races and communities in the island.
From Colombo the choirs of S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia, Bishop’s College and Ladies’ College will be featured while Hillwood College, Mowbray College and Trinity College will be the Kandy choirs and from Jaffna – St. John’s College Jaffna and Chundikuli Girls’ College will take part. The programme will be telecast on MTV on December 20 from 7 p.m- 8 p.m.
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