1st June 1997

Musical duo shows their gratitude

By Roshan Peiris

Menaka de Fonseka and Tamara Holsinger are a pair of delightful young girls. What makes them special is that they are highly qualified at a young age, in music, having been awarded the Fellowship in Music by the Trinity College of London.

Menaka from age eight learnt the piano and violin and took singing lessons under Irene Hunter . She has since trained under Christine Perera. She was also taught music by the well known teacher Mary Billimoria.

Tamara could boast that she is the grand-daughter of the famous elocution teacher Wendy Whatmore. But the modest pleasant-faced youngster says she started learning the cello from her great aunt Averil Bartholomeusz. After grade eight she started lessons with Mrs. Dushyanthi Perera.

These two young girls with a very bright future in music, both having qualified for the Fellowship examination, are featured here not only because of their qualifications but because of their sense of devotion and gratitude. On June 17th at the Lionel Wendt they together with Soundari David playing on the piano, will give a concert to collect money for the Trinity College of Music prize day. "Friends in Concert" is what the concert is called. With no prompting these two young girls have shown how they can express their gratitude to the Trinity College of Music and to all those who have taught them by helping to collect funds.

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