Kandy Times

“A Musical Journey with Ruwani Seimon” is all set to rock the audience of Kandy- Ruwani’s hometown

By Vidushi Seneviratne

The biggest achievement for the members of any production is to have to repeat their show due to popular demand. Literally rocking Colombo with their amazing performance which was completely sold out the first time around, "Voices in Harmony" will bring their show to the hills, giving audiences in Kandy a chance to enjoy their outstanding performance.

"A Musical Journey with Ruwani Seimon", to be held at the Trinity College Hall on September 10, at 5.30 p.m. will surely be a treat to watch.

Having impressed audiences with their performances right along, "Voices in Harmony" trained by Ruwani Seimon, is made up of about 95 members between the ages of six and twenty-five. Being from Kandy herself, Ruwani who is a well-known figure in music circles, and a firm disciplinarian, beloved mentor and most of all friend to her students, brings out the best in her students.

Returning to Sri Lanka after completing two degrees in Canada, she launched out as a professional singing teacher in 1994, creating "Voices in Harmony" in 1996. She also simultaneously trained many school choirs, with an eight-year stint at Wycherely International School.

The show will consist of a number of items from past concerts by the choir, with almost all of the songs being dramatised and choreographed, mostly by her senior students and herself. Usually a forum for her students to be highlighted, this time's concert will focus more on showcasing the capabilities of the entire choir as one body.

This being the 8th concert by "Voices in Harmony", it promises to be a vibrantly nostalgic journey through the history of the choir, with a number of their favourites, redone this time round.

The senior choir will be doing a medley of semi-classical and inspirational songs such as "Amazing Grace", "You'll Never Walk Alone" and "Impossible Dream", a Sinhala medley with songs such as Dannobudunge, Nimhim Sewwa and even a few baila songs, along with a series of catchy tunes from "Bombay Dreams". Sure to be a hit with the audiences, the junior choir will be doing an entertaining medley from Pocahontas, a pop music medley and "Lion Sleeps Tonight" also known as Mbube, done by a small group of juniors in an African language.

Though "Voices in Harmony" have used live back-up music for previous concerts, this year's show is going to be different, with the background music done solely by Mahesh Denipitiya, an expert in the Sri Lankan music industry.

According to Ruwani, the comradeship and closeness among the kids are amazing, because though most of them are from various schools, the common love for music helps them to bond. But there's also a definite balance between work and play. Of the ninety-five students in "Voices in Harmony" ,almost all are doing singing exams, so there's obviously a lot of serious work underneath the element of fun.

The immense love for music that her students share is the one constant feature common to all of them. Emphasis on perfection and motivation, along with qualities such as punctuality, pushes them to greater heights and they all feel they apply these principles to their day to day lives as well.

For Ruwani, commitment is essentially a vital part of anything you do, and she does not hesitate to instil this principle in the minds of her students. Battling cancer and dealing with the unending challenges that come with it, the drive and pure passion she has for teaching kids, is what sees her through. "This is probably the most rewarding job ever and I am exactly where I want to be. I really can't imagine myself doing anything else," says a very satisfied Ruwani. "When I'm with my students, all these other obstacles just seem to disappear. Some times during practices and specially concert rehearsals, I have to remind myself that I need to be a bit cautious about my physical well being!"

Tickets for "A Musical Journey with Ruwani Seimon" priced at Rs. 750 & Rs. 500 (Reserved) and Rs. 350 & Rs. 200, are available at Nihal's Super & Royal Mall, Kandy. The show is organised by The Inner Wheel Club of Kandy and the proceeds are in aid of the Sri Lanka Cancer Society, Kandy Branch and Inner Wheel charities.