A certain bus stand and street corners in Austria's beautiful city of Graz were, just last month, occupied by a group of ten singers, surrounded by an appreciative crowd, singing along and clapping to their music.
Apart from delighting the citizens of Graz, Lanka's leading all male choir, The Revelations, had great success at the World Choir Games emerging Champions in two out of the three categories they competed in– the Male Vocal Ensemble and the Gospel and Spiritual Category and winning a silver medal in the popular choral Music (a capella category).
And now they're back to sing for their fans on August 18 at The Cinnamon Grand at 7 30 p.m., performing the same repertoire as sung at the World Choir Games, in addition to a few new songs and a couple of surprises.
Being the first Sri Lankan, as well as the first South Asian choir to be champions at the Games, the guys were naturally elated at their win.
"At the point when the results were being announced," recalls choir leader Sanjeev Jayaratnam, "Ishan de Lanerolle,(president of the Revelations) and I were on stage with the other contestants, while the rest of the choir was in the audience. When we were announced as champions, the two of us just burst into tears- we couldn't help it! And when it came to singing the National Anthem with all the spectators standing and watching our flag being raised, I couldn't even sing- that's how overwhelming it was."
The whole experience, he describes without hesitation as- "humbling." Why? "Because we hoped. We really hoped for success. We had big dreams, but seeing our dreams fulfilled to that extent, especially when there was such tough competition, was very humbling."
Fourteen years ago, when the group was started, it was simply a group of old Thomians with a common passion for singing. They didn't even have a name. "It was at a Purple Rain concert that we were told to come up with a name by which we could be introduced," recalls Sanjeev. "At the time, there was a popular band called Genesis which is also the first book of the Bible. So, on the spur of the moment, we came up with Revelations (the last book in the Bible)," he smiles.
The songs they sang at the Games were mainly by composers and arrangers from the US, but three songs with which they won the categories were arranged by Sanjeev. "Two were gospel numbers and one was a song by Piyal Perera of the Gypsies, 'Venvela Giyath', which I arranged for male voices with permission," said Sanjeev.
And how does this group of lawyers, marketers, IT professionals and students stay focused and in harmony? "It can sometimes be a challenge," explains Sanjeev, "to train people who are also your close friends. We're serious about our singing and we give it all we've got, correcting each other whenever necessary, but when it comes down to it, we're all just friends."
Tickets for the concert priced at Rs. 750, 1000 and 1500 are available at The Cinnamon Grand, The Commons, The Bay Leaf and the Autodrome at Union Place. |
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