Arts
Noted hits a festive note in debut concert
It’s the most wonderful time of the year for all-female choir Noted, as they gear up to present their debut concert ‘A Noted Christmas’ on December 16, at 7.30 p.m. at the Methodist College Auditorium.
Wanting to make a difference with their music: The all-female choir with choral director Sanjeev Jayaratnam. Pix by Sameera Weerasekera
Founder of Noted and choral director Sanjeev Jayaratnam, had always wanted to start a female choir, and what better selection of voices than those he had worked with back in their schooldays at Methodist College when he was the school’s choral director. Finally in 2016, the girls tell us it was as straightforward as just getting together and deciding on a date and time. The rest is history.
Sanjeev’s work keeps him plenty busy – as the leader and choral director of internationally acclaimed, multi award-winning male choir The Revelations and as choral director of the children’s Revelations Academy choir. With Noted, Sanjeev is confident enough in their abilities that the organisation, basic direction and day-to-day practices are firmly in their hands, while he drops in when necessary.
What keeps them wanting to come back is simply the familiarity and camaraderie they all share that stems from their time together in their school choir. “For me, it’s the influence I got from school. What we share with each other, the friendship that we have,” the choir’s past president Sugee Perera explains.
Mihiri Perera observes that they’ve been singing together for about ten years, and have learned what each other’s strengths and weaknesses are. Even the younger batches that join are quickly swept up into the fold. “We all know how it works, and we can gel together at any point,” the choir’s current president Yelani Watson says, although the girls are quick to add that anyone from any school is quite welcome to join them.
Building on what they achieved at school, Noted went on to become the Asian Champions in the Vocal Ensemble category at the 4th Asia Pacific Games in 2017, and was awarded a silver medal in the Grand Prix of Nations. “We were developing on the discipline that was instilled in us in school,” assistant choir director Rachel Mendis adds.
After the competition in 2017, the girls turned their attention to what they really wanted to do as a group. “We decided that we didn’t just want to be a choir, but to be people who can make a difference and inspire others through music,” says Rachel.
Making their concert debut with ‘A Noted Christmas’ comes after much brainstorming, amidst their various other commitments like events and weddings. Christmas seemed like a perfect opportunity as it harkened back to their time in school, where they would be fully involved in carol services every year. They have had “that Christmas touch” ingrained in them, they laugh.
The concert itself will feature quite a mix of music, Sanjeev says. From classical, Christmas favourites and gospel to pop and acapella, the choir will be showcasing the versatility in their singing styles to add an element of excitement to the show.
“Whatever we do, we try to focus on interpretation and transferring emotion. There’s a lot of range and meaning that we bring to the audience so they feel it,” Sanjeev says. As such, many of their song choices have inspirational messages in them to ignite hope for a better year ahead in the hearts of the audience.
With that passion to inspire, the girls hope to help make a change in society. The concert aims to raise awareness to support the work done by Emerge Lanka Foundation which works with teenage survivors of sexual abuse in Sri Lanka to help them heal, develop self-sufficiency and reintergrate into society by teaching them critical life and business skills.
Emerge will also have a pop up sale at the concert, showcasing one-of-a-kind jewellery, handmade by the survivors at Emerge through their Beads-to-Business programme. The audience is encouraged to purchase items and contribute to support the girls.
‘A Noted Christmas’ is shaping up to be a night of entertainment and inspiration for audiences of all ages. As Sanjeev puts it, the concert will be the perfect time to get into the spirit of the season, celebrating all that’s good in life like family, love, peace and goodwill.
Tickets for the show are priced at Rs. 3000, Rs. 2500, Rs. 2000, Rs.1500, Rs. 1000 and Rs. 750 (for balcony). Tickets are available at Hilton Colombo Residences and Revelations Academy of Performing Arts (Mount Lavinia) at limited times. Call or Whatsapp Diyumalie on 077 697 7896 to reserve tickets and for other inquiries.