Music Ministry choir, taking the message through song
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Feeling the power of music and the spirituality: The choir singing those time-hallowed carols
The serenely beautiful but usually quiet church of St. Paul’s on Kynsey Road was filled with song on the evening of November 30 – a day before Advent (the season leading up to Christmas). Some 60 soaring voices of a choir and an overflowing congregation gathered to hear the message of Christ’s coming, singing those time-hallowed Christmas carols with great joy.
It was the Music Ministry choir’s offering for Christmas – a service of Nine Lessons and Carols and as the voices rang out, and the nine lessons were read, the message of the Christ Child born in a humble manger, God’s own Son sent to earth for all mankind, touched those present.
Neranjan De Silva
The Music Ministry choir has only just completed a year of singing together but in the past 12 months they have taken their ministry of song to many churches of different denominations, all on invitation, without restriction – from Anglican to Catholic, Baptist to Seventh Day Adventist and Christian Reformed Church (formerly known as the Dutch Reformed Church).
The dynamic forces behind the choir are master organist Neranjan De Silva and well known singer Ishan de Lanerolle.
It all began on a visit to the Holy Land in 2015. Neranjan and his wife Dayani celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary, attended a mass at the church in Cana. Cana was where Jesus’s first miracle took place– the turning of water into wine at a wedding. The thought came to Neranjan of a church in Sri Lanka open to all faiths, without restrictions.
Ishan de Lanerolle
“The only ministry I can do is through music,” Neranjan says, recalling that the Music Ministry name came to him then. He did mention it to Ishan, but it “remained another of my dreams.”
Years later, in the latter part of 2023, Ishan having relinquished his role as Choral Director of the Cathedral of Christ the Living Saviour after 11 years was looking to continue his choral work, that had seen him direct many powerful programmes at the Anglican cathedral. As it so happened, their friend Eshantha de Andrado who had been music director at St. Mary’s Church, Bambalapitiya had also moved on and it seemed an opportune time for them to continue their work, in a new direction.
They reached out to a few friends whom they had sung with and the Music Ministry choir soon took shape.
Their first outing was to Christ Church, Galle Face. That historic church was celebrating its 170th anniversary and the invitation came to Neranjan – ‘would he play at the service of praise and thanksgiving?’ The Music Ministry Choir made its debut appearance on that special occasion with the choir directed by Ishan, Neranjan accompanying them on the organ, along with the choirs of Ladies’ College and S. Thomas Prep. School.
“The second service we did was at a Catholic church (Holy Trinity Church, Attidiya) where we got such a warm welcome,” Neranjan recalls. Since then, this past year they have sung at churches of different denominations. Their repertoire too has expanded, as a result.
The choir has meanwhile, swelled – some 86 members on paper but with no restrictions, the choristers come and sing when their busy schedules permit. For the Christmas service, they were about 60 but for their monthly services, the number can be from 24-40 usually.
What heartens them Ishan and Neranjan is that the choristers come wholeheartedly for practices. And it is an interesting mix, Christians, some non-Christians, some professionals, including senior choir directors as well as many, young and not so young, some who may have not sung in a choir for many years.
“For us, it’s about taking them on that journey,” says Ishan. “The choristers themselves are feeling the power of music and the spirituality.” It is usual to start each practice with a prayer and once, a chorister who was a Buddhist volunteered. “It’s actually breaking so many boundaries. Christ’s message was for all, he broke all the rules of his time.”
“Our door is always open, adds Ishan. Subject to a basic audition process, anyone can join. They have great support from Eshantha, Surekha, Neranjan’s son who contributes with the sound, while Preveen Rodrigo photographs all their services.
For his part, Ishan is thankful “on a daily basis” to be working with Neranjan.“When Neranjan plays, it’s a different realm.” Having sung with many accompanists from different countries, he says, “you can perform with the best but if the music doesn’t touch you, ignite a spark in you, it remains only technical brilliance.
It has been a long association, dating back more than 20 years ago when Ishan was singing with the all-male ensemble, The Revelations. That relationship would grow when they collaborated at the Anglican Cathedral where Neranjan often played. And interestingly though the Revelations have long disbanded, six members of the group now sing with the Music Ministry choir.
“We still do not know where this will lead,” both agree, but they are firm in the conviction “God will show us the way. It has been a spiritually enriching path.”
Their carol service started with ‘O Come All Ye Faithful’. Ishan stresses how they try to sing the familiar known words with meaning, citing the second line of the carol ‘Joyful and triumphant’ – “we are proclaiming the birth of Christ.” As they celebrate this Christmas with joy and thanksgiving, looking forward to the New Year, their hope is to take their ministry of music out of Colombo across the island.
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