Rhapsodic

Question: What do you get when you put together 70 young singers, a whole bunch of instruments, a music guru, a spectacular repertoire and a dream come true?

Answer: Rhapsody in Blue.

When the young 'boys by the Beira' take the Lionel Wendt stage on February 7 and 8, at 7 p.m., their sweet 'Rhapsody' is guaranteed to enrapture audiences of all sizes, ages and musical tastes. The St. Cecilia's Choir of St. Joseph's College, Maradana, under the able guidance of music maestro Francis D'Almeida, present Rhapsody in Blue, a musical extravaganza that will keep your toes-a-tapping, your fingers-a-clicking and leave your heart singing!

The choir motto 'One in harmony' is not just a slogan; oneness and harmony are values that have been consciously and deliberately introduced, nurtured, and encouraged in the boys by their dedicated "Sir Francis" and successive choir leaders over the years. Both the present choir leaders Geethika Cooray and Heshan Thambimuttu continue to carry out the good work.

The concert itself will be performed in four segments – namely, classical, ethnic, Lion King and pop and classic rock, said Heshan. The classical section will comprise some of Handel's best known works like “Worthy is the Lamb,” “Hallelujah Chorus,” “For unto us a child is born” and “Coronation Anthem” and classics such as “Hosanna in Excelsis.” from the Modern Requiem.

The ethnic section will be more of a mix of Sinhala, Tamil and English songs - the highlight of which will be an acapella version of “Eye of the Tiger” performed by a group of senior choristers. Winding up the segment with a grand rendition of “You'll Never Walk Alone.”

The third section from the Broadway performance of “The Lion King,” will definitely liven things up and ensure that you have "no worries for the rest of your days…" Well-loved hits from both the movie and the show such as “Circle of Life” and “Can you feel the love tonight?” will have you singing, clicking and swaying along.

The final segment leading up to the grand finale, will comprise the likes of Queen's “Somebody to love,” the Rugby World Cup theme song “World in Union”, the “Caribbean Disco Show” and “A Different Beat.”

Yet another unique part of the show is that, all the instrumentalists (ranging from drummers to bassists to percussionists to keyboardists etc.,) are very much members of the choir. Therefore, not only are these choristers ranging from the ages of 10-18 years, very talented voice wise, but have also proved their prowess on varied other instruments. Quite the multi-talented choir one could say...

This concert is not just for entertainment's sake but is also a loving tribute to the boy's beloved 'Sir Francis' who has been their teacher, mentor, and friend over the past decade and in aid of the “Brother Hilary Nursery School” in Mannar. "Especially since the tsunami we've mostly been helping schools and affected areas in the south so, since Mr. Almeida had got his hands on a SOS appeal from the De La Salle Brothers who run this nursery, we thought it would be an ideal opportunity to try and bridge the gap between Colombo and this war-torn part of our country," explained Heshan. Brother Hilary Nursery School (a part of St. Xavier's College) will utilize the funds towards developing the nursery, added Heshan.

So help make the echoes of Rhapsody in Blue resound right through to Mannar, where another set of youngsters are awaiting a brighter future. You can help this dream come true…come indulge in the Rhapsody in Blue.

The principle sponsor for this event is Elephant House and the official electronic media sponsors are MBC Networks (Pvt) Ltd. Tickets will be available at the Lionel Wendt and the St. Joseph's College office.

Note: Special parking arrangements have been made and the relevent instructions have been printed on the tickets.