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A dedication of songs on CD
By N.Dilshath Banu
The lights dimmed to an empty stage. In the gloom, the audience could see the girls getting ready for the first act. Then the lights were on again. And against a backdrop of a picture of nuns came the sweet voices of the girls with white shawls singing the Nun’s Chorus.

The Nun’s Chorus ended. Applause!! And the girls, once again, this time in coloured shawls began to sing, “These are the special times, times we still remember………...”

September 3 was a special day indeed for Methodist College, Colombo as the school choir marked the release of their first CD with a triumphant concert.
The CD is dedicated to the late George Dias, who served the Methodist College Education Society for over 20 years for it was his wish that the school choir do a recording of this nature.

The CD contains 15 tracks including the Nun’s Chorus and Hymn for Sri Lanka along with an eclectic mix of other favourites: “These are the Special Times”, “I Could Have Danced All Night”, “Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring”, “Somewhere”, “The Hills are Alive”, “What a Wonderful World” , “Blue Bayou” and “You’ll Never Walk Alone”, not forgetting pop diva Celine Dion’s “That’s the Way it is”.
Directed by Mahen Peiris, the choir was accompanied by Soundari David and Drusilla Jayashanthakumar on piano, Christopher Prins on drums, Nishan Mills on tabla and Neranjan de Silva on piano. Neranjan was also responsible for the recording.

Looking back on the months of hard work that culminated in the launch of the CD, Mahen Peiris said, “When I started training the choristers last September for the carol service, we didn’t think about the CD. In March, I prepared the students for a choir competition organized by the Rotary Club and when the Methodist College Choir won second place in the Girls Choir category, the Principal suggested we do a Choir CD.”

The girls sacrificed their Saturday mornings and one weekday class to make time for choir practices and the CD was recorded in August. “It was a great experience working with Soundari David and others. Neranjan de Silva was a great help to me. But more than anything, it was the girls’ show and the culmination of their efforts,” Mr. Peiris said.

When the concert drew to a close, the choristers circled Mahen Peiris and Neranjan de Silva, giving them ‘Thank You” cards, not forgetting their teachers and all the others who had helped them to produce their own CD. And asked how they feel about their achievement, they summed up, “It’s great!”

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