‘Musical Perpetua’ bringing past and present pupils together
The beauty of a particular song sometimes resonates in the fact that it stirs a certain memory. To many, that tune would take them back to their school days. S.Thomas’ College, Mt. Lavinia has always had a rich tradition of music and over the years, they’ve certainly left their mark in the music industry. As they look to celebrate a century since the college moved to Mt. Lavinia, the special events committee of the school presents ‘Musical Perpetua’ on September 19 at the Bishop’s College auditorium, starting at 7.30pm.
Pix by M.A Pushpakumara
The concert will feature performances by both the past and present students of the school. Some of the renowned names include the De Lanerolle brothers, Dyan Fernando, Joy De Alwis, Niran De Mel and Gananath Dassanayake. This week we take a closer look at the school’s Canto Perpetua Choir and Western band, set to perform at the show.
Canto Perpetua, which translates into ‘Singing Forever,’ consists of Thomian choristers from grade two till the Advanced Level section. They are directed under the watchful eye of Mr. Vinod Senadeera who is a well-known figure in the field of performing arts and an old Thomian himself.
The choir made their debut performance at “Music’s Always There” in 2008, together with Nuovo Vitae, a professional group of past Thomian choristers. The same year, they also put together ‘Mistletoe Magic, which was a Christmas concert.
Since then they have also played a major role at many musical events and have also been involved in many stage productions, such as “Nickelby” in 2009 and “Gaudete” in 2010. Canto Perpetua has performed at concerts, such as “Rally Round Christmas 2009” and “Mistletoe Magic 2012”.
They look to bring an exceptional performance, this time too.
The Thomian Western Music Band has a slightly older history in comparison with the Canto Perpetua choir. They made their debut at the Old Boys’ Day back in 1970 as a marching band. Since then, they went through many changes and at one point, converted into a performing ensemble.
Over the years, the Western Band has organised many concerts. The first of many was in 1985, under the guidance of Ms. Rani Perera. This show celebrated its 15th anniversary. They also showcased another instrumental concert back in 1994. After many years of silence, the ensemble came back strong with “Music of the Night” in 2008 and 2010. These concerts were organized on a large scale and also featured performances from many leading schools in Colombo. Manilal Weerakoon, a prominent musician himself and former conductor and principal horn player of the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka, has been the principal instructor of the band for many years.
Overall ‘Musical Perpetua’ looks to bring a fusion of both the past and present. The beauty of the show lies in the fact that it’s cemented on that Thomian spirit and both the Canto Perpetua choir and the Thomian Western Music Band look forward to portray that, in what truly appears to be a promising concert.
Tickets are priced at Rs. 3000, 2500, 2000, 1500, 1000 and 750 (Balcony). They will be available at the Bishop’s College Auditorium.
