Bishop’s girls take Hewisi to new heights

A sharp, rich sound pierces the silence. Coming effortlessly from four conch shells, the call to attention slowly gives way to entrancing drumming from the army of drummers behind them. Known as one of the earliest school Hewisi bands when it was set up in the 1960’s, the girls of Bishop’s College will be stepping to traditional beats with ‘Dhwani’ after a couple of years. The Christmas break has been a hectic one for the Band and members of the Dancing Society. Speaking to us amid the sound of flutes breaking the loud drumming with the Gajaga- Wannama, P.W.T Dian tells us it’s his fourth year training the band and the dancers. One of the first things Dian noticed was that Bishop’s College “is an excellent place for the development of the arts.” Also a visiting lecturer at the University of Jayawardenapura for dancing, he says the freedom and support at Bishop’s College made it possible for him to take the concert Dhwani to a stage in Frankfurt. Much of this year’s troupe were juniors onstage when Dhwani entertained German audiences in 2012. Dhwani, an evening of oriental dance and music will take place on January 23, at the Bishop’s College Auditorium. Featuring the Hewisi Bands of S. Thomas’ College, Trinity College and Methodist College, the show begins at 6:30 p.m. Tickets for the evening are available at the school and are priced at Rs.750, 500 and Rs.400 for balcony seats.