Youth camp for music, dance and speech
For the first time in Sri Lanka, a Youth Camp Festival of Music, Dance
& Drama is being organised with tutors of the British Federation of
Festivals conducting the camp. This youth camp will be held at the Sri
Lanka Foundation Institute, Colombo from April 22 to April 28 with a final
concert on April 28 at Bishop's College.
The participants will perform what they have prepared at the camp. Hostel
accommodation will be available for participants together with the tutors
and the organisers. It will be a wonderful experience for those participating
to take advantage of this hostel accommodation to exchange ideas with the
British and Irish tutors of music, dance and drama.
Camp for Music
The Camp for Music will be conducted by Mr. Andrew Sherwood of UK. Versatile
in all instruments, he is well known among scholarship winners. This course
will include chamber and orchestral music. The participants will be drawn
from both young people and adults and those who play the flute, oboe, clarinet,
bassoon, French horn, trumpet, trombone, saxophone, tuba, percussion, violins,
viola, cello, double bass and harp. The participants should be at least
of a grade 3 standard and above. They can be those who are already playing
in Orchestras or not.
The camp will be held daily from 9.00 a.m. to 7.00 p.m. from April 22
to April 28 with a final concert on April 28.
A few pianists will be accommodated. Participants could submit their
own creative compositions two weeks prior to the camp and the chosen pieces
will be performed by the participants.
A minimum charge per participant for the week will be Rs. 5,000/= for
the camp all inclusive with hostel accommodation or Rs. 3,000/= for the
camp for daily attendance with meals.
Camp for Speech and Drama
The Camp for Speech and Drama will be conducted by Mr. Timothy McCarthy
of Ireland. He is no stranger to students who sat the Guildhall examinations
and attended workshops last year. This camp is from April 23 to April 28
with a final concert on April 28 at Bishop's College. The camp will be
held daily from 9.00 a.m to 7.00 p.m. This course is open to participants
aged 13 years and over. Amongst other works, he will be doing a "Jazz,
Chant Fairy Tale" which is a drama with chorus and solos, and acting in
a strong jazz style. The group recital programmme will also be held. A
minimum charge per student for the five days will be Rs.3,500/= for the
camp all inclusive with hostel accommodation or Rs. 2,000/= for the camp
with meals for daily attendance.
Camp for Dance
The Camp for Dance will be conducted by Patricia Price of UK who was
trained at the London College of Dance and Drama and is a RAD and ISTD
registered teacher. This camp will be held from April 25 to the 28 with
a final concert on April 28 at Bishop's College with the participants performing
what they have learnt.
This camp is open to participants from seven years upwards. The classes
will include ballet and modern/jazz together with group dances. A minimum
charge per student for the four days will be Rs. 3,000/= for the camp all
inclusive with hostel accommodation or Rs. 1,750/= for the camp with meals
for daily attendance.
Participants should enroll on or before February 28. Enrolment forms
could be obtained and camp fees could be paid at No. 1, 1st Floor, Stamboul
Place, Colombo 3. For more details please contact Joy Ferdinando, Organizing
Director, Tel: 301929. Tel/Fax 074713490. E-mail jferdinando@mail.ewisl.net.
Celebration of the 'wrong' Valentines
By Norm(an) De Plume
So, here we are, one week from the shocking revelation of the dark secret
of Valentine's Day. Now  that
the truth is finally out, perhaps we should take stock of what we've been
doing all these years.
Obviously, it's the wrong people who celebrate Valentine's Day! Okay,
so there is another theory that Val fell in love with his jailer's daughter,
but by and large, Val was the guy who got people together. Therefore, the
people who should be celebrating Valentine's Day are not the couples, but
the people who get them together.
Who would qualify as such persons? Friends of both parties who plotted
(or 'planned' would be a more acceptable term) to get the couple together.
The ones who persuaded the parties that they make a lovely couple. The
people who wrote the love letters (and before you make accusations of personal
gain, I insist that the fact I used to be one of them does not apply).
The friends they took on the initial dates so that it would seem like
a group outing and NOT a date. The guy who made the girl's brother reconsider
beating up the boyfriend-to-be. You see, when two people get together,
its usually because a lot of people helped them to get there. So, it is
these people who should be celebrating Valentine's Day. After all, aren't
they doing the same service that poor old Val did?
Besides, why should people in love have a special day? Call me idealistic,
but for people in love each day should be special, And a day some ancient
matchmaker lost his head should not be of great significance. Instead,
we should celebrate the above-mentioned modern Vals. Be fair now, apart
from personal satisfaction, what do they ever get, apart from fewer phone
calls from the friends whom they helped get hitched?
Apart from it being natural justice, there are many social advantages
to be had by celebrating matchmakers on Valentine's Day, rather than the
lovers. Firstly, it will encourage more people to help others to fall in
love. This in turn will cause more people to fall in love, and maybe the
matchmakers themselves would in turn be part of a couple! (At least, one
sincerely hopes so).
The other benefit is that the current celebration is quite depressing
for people not in love. Even people like my friend Squarefinger who can
pretty much have any guy she chooses and some other guy friends of mine
with similar capabilities become quite depressed. Therefore, you can imagine
the limitless depths people like yours truly plummet to on this date.
Thus, by giving the matchmakers their much-deserved reward, such problems
can be averted and Valentine's Day will become a happier day for more people.
Doesn't this make sense?
So, starting next year, let's celebrate the true heirs of Val's legacy.
And don't forget, that way, more people will be celebrating, and more money
can be made. Oh won't the ancient plotters be happy!
Flower power for charity
Ikebana and floral arrangements in all their variety will be on display
today when the Shi-en Ikebana and Floral Art Society of Sri Lanka hold
their annual exhibition "Festival of Flowers 1X' at the Hotel Lanka Oberoi.
Proceeds from this year's show will go to the child victims of Thalassaemia
at the Kurunegala National Hospital.
Ikebana is an expression in three dimensions composed of plant materials
arranged in a vase. For many it has become more than a hobby, an absorbing
study of nature leading to deeper understanding of life. So discover the
many delights of Ikebana at this show. |
