A MUSICAL MEMORY – THE STARDUST SAGA. (EPISODE 1.) from Shane Bayley’s Archives – by Bernard VanCuylenburg
A MUSICAL MEMORY – THE STARDUST SAGA. (EPISODE 1.)
PROLOGUE.
It was the American Children’s Author and Filmmaker Dr. Seuss Geisel who said “Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory”. Sixty years ago, in the beautiful city of Kandy – at Saint Anthony’s College to be precise – young minds at work combined their talents to produce a musical extravaganza which became a memory……One which still lives in the collective memory of many who witnessed the flowering of young talent on the stage not only in Kandy, but in regions beyond. Two Australian song writers and Musicians Kev Carmody and Paul Kelly sum this up beautifully in their hit song “From little things big things grow “. This was the genesis of “Stardust”. Let’s get the show on the road !
It all began in the year Nineteen Hundred and Sixty when an unassuming and inconspicuous young man had the inclination to stage a musical show “just for kicks”. So, these hundred megatons of energy and initiative went into action. Who was this mysterious young man? He was none other than that “dynamic personality of show business” in the Hill Capital, Eric Labrooy. His first show was a charity performance in aid of The Catholic Students Federation. With very little time at his disposal, his amateur effort was a show titled “An afternoon with music” which hit the stage. And “hit the stage” it did with resounding success from the time the curtain went up for the first act ! The congratulatory messages, accolades and remarks were inevitable. Thus, Eric came into his own, and he decided to do the next best thing – to give show business in Kandy the proverbial shot in the arm. After all, he had the talent and resources at his disposal and an ocean of goodwill.
To help him in this Herculean venture he sought the assistance of enterprising people like himself. “Cometh the hour, cometh the man” wrote Sir Walter Scott and many writers quoting the original from The Holy Bible (John 4:23. And there were many who fit this description. There was Mr. Cyril Brown our Music Teacher at college, Willie Weerasekera, Orville Selliah and Steve Morrell to name a few. They gave him unstinted support and soon throughout 1960 there were a series of performances either at the College Hall or at Good Shepherd Convent Kandy. Unfortunately, due to a lack of publicity the majority of Kandy’s population knew nothing about this talented group of artistes.
Consequently, progress was slow but steady and sure. In life we take the good with the bad and we experienced the vicissitudes of Show Business. Citing one example, we were invited by the University of Ceylon (Peradeniya) to perform at “The Mr. Campus Contest”.
We performed as we usually did, giving of our best but unfortunately, we were not good enough for the University students ! Result? We had to leave the stage before we intended to do so !! But discouragement only served as encouragement and we strived doggedly on.
The year 1961 heralded a brighter future for the Group. In April that year the show “O Sole Mio” hit the stage facing the footlights at the Good Shepherd Convent Hall in Kandy. The show itself was a success but lacked the colour and flair which a musical deserved. This show incidentally was compered by the versatile Willie Weerasekera and featured artistes like Orville Selliah, “The Stardusters”, Milroy Jayasinghe, Ricky Muthukumaraswamy, and a galaxy of outstanding stars. Mr. Cyril Brown deserves a huge vote of thanks because it was his ready assistance at all times that ensured its success. We were also grateful to Reverend Mother Superior of the Good Shepherd Convent for her patience, valuable advice and all-round support.
A NIGHT TO REMEMBER.
The 7th of July 1961 was the night when dreams and at times wishful thinking turned into reality. The Old Boys Association of College requested us to stage a show to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its existence. Thus, the show “Stars on Parade” took to the stage once again “emceed” by the inimitable Willie Weerasekera with Orville Selliah, Steve Morrell, and Milroy Jayasinghe to the fore. The rest included Neil Wijeratne, “The Little Serenaders”, Ricky Muthukumaraswamy, Bernard VanCuylenburg, and little Dinesh Fernando who made his stage debut with a stellar performance on the Piano Accordion.
Five bonny lassies too made their stage debut that evening. They were Valerie Jaimon, Thecla Pereira, Carmelita Pereira , Marlene Hope and Maureen Paiva. This show was a roaring success and became the talk of the town. At last, we had achieved the impossible – a flawless performance. Even our most severe critics could not find cause for criticism. The success of this show was largely due to Milroy Hepponstall and of course once again, Mr. Cyril Brown.
This was the show which was the genesis of THE KANDY TALENT CLUB. It was decided that a Club was necessary to manage the affairs of the performers and other matters associated with staging these musical concerts. It was imperative that a club be formed when glad tidings of prospective bookings in places like Matale and Nuwaraeliya were brought to our attention. Consequently, a set of rules were drafted and a Governing Board comprising Willie Weerasekera, Eric Labrooy, Orville Selliah, and Steve Morrell was appointed. For posterity, I record the names of the Office Bearers. They were:
- Patron – Sylvester W.De Soysa Esq.
- Vice Patron – Rev. Father D.I. Robinson, O.S.B. , Dr .Pat Fernando and G.N.S. Hameed Esq.
- President – Mr. Cyril Brown.
- Secretary – Mr. Steve Morrell.
- Treasurer – Mr. Willie Weerasekera.
- Committee – Miss. Thecla Pereira, Miss. Valerie Jaimon, Mr. Milroy Jayasinghe, Mr. Ricky –
Muthukumaraswamy, Mr. Neil Wijeratne, Mr. Anton Wanigasinghe, and Mr. Bernard VanCuylenburg. - Advisory Committee: Messrs. P. Don Quintus and Milroy Hepponstall.
THE SHOW MUST GO ON.
On the 29th of July 1961, The Kandy Talent Club organised its first show in the form of a Talent Contest, “The Fiesta Night Talent Contest”. Three cash prizes were offered and the performers excelled with a very high standard, making the task of the judges determining the winners extremely difficult. As if wishing to gild the lily musically speaking, the Club achieved fame and enhanced its reputation by also organising “The Maliban Talent Show” which was held at The Queens Hotel Kandy, thanks to the untiring efforts of Orville Selliah who left no stone unturned to ensure that this show would be one to remember. Of the twelve contestants participating in this show, nine were members of The Kandy talent Club. The crowning glory was that Orville Selliah and Sriani Goonetillake won the contest outright and Althea De Silva came second to Orville.
All the artistes participating in the musical shows organised by the Kandy Talent Club had exceptional talent. Unfortunately, within the constraints of an email, it is not possible to highlight all these brilliant performers and their musical versatility. However, there are three who deserve special mention not only for their pioneering efforts in organising the club, finding the artistes and harnessing their talents for the greater good of the club, but for their very professional performances and supreme talent.
Steve Morrell – Apart from his debonair style, panache, and unique voice, Steve was a singer who could swing any tune in his own inimitable style to give it a touch of class. When he stood before a microphone, he was Mr. Music himself. And, he had all the moves ! Soft shoe shuffle, a wiggle of the hips, and eye contact with the audience as he sang his way into their hearts. His matchless musical talent ensured that his rapport with audiences was phenomenal.
Orville Selliah – When the phrase “The Jim Reeves of Kandy” was mentioned, it was Orville that people were talking about ! Once he fronted a microphone, his smooth dulcet tones had the audience – specially the females – swooning as note for note, he sung his way giving life to their deepest emotions. His style of delivery and the vocal depth of any song he sang was very similar to that of the “Troubador from Texas”.
Ricky Muthukumaraswamy – At a time when ‘Pop Music’ was all the rage, Ricky proved an instant hit with audiences due to his rendition of jazz favourites. In true Sinatra style, he had a “captive audience” each time he sang a jazz favourite. With his suave manner, good looks and easy relaxed style, Ricky could render any jazz standard with the best of them. A famous Saxophonist Budd Johnson once said “All you need for jazz is a soul”. Ricky had plenty of soul and an exceptional voice.
The band that accompanied all the artistes on these shows comprised Mr. Cyril Brown on Piano, Rex White on Double Bass, Sunil Fernando on Drums, George Brown on Rhythm guitar and Bernard VanCuylenburg on Rhythm/Lead guitar. Please rest assured that in Episode 2 of this article, tribute will be paid to every other artiste who participated in these musical galas.
It should be emphasised that this was a time when there were no backing tracks to accompany vocalists or musicians, and there were no technical gismos to cover up mistakes and even “splice” a note on a recording which a vocalist was unable to sing.
There was no chance of even “miming” a song which sadly even professional musicians in this day and age have resorted to. What the audience heard then was raw talent and straight from the heart, pure unadulterated music with no frills attached.
EPILOGUE.
Many years have passed since the “Stardust” era, and the stage is bear with the curtain rung down. The crowds have gone away and the Hall is enveloped in darkness. A hushed silence is all that is left. But the music has not died. Neither have the memories of those dear hearts and gentle people who propelled Stardust to the highest heights in the musical firmament. They were Mr. Sylvester De Soysa a business magnate who despite his
numerous commitments in the business world became our Patron and gave us his support and encouragement. Reverend Father Robinson the Principal of Saint Anthony’s College and a Vice Patron whose advice to us on the pros and cons of Show Business was invaluable. Our Vice Patrons Doctor Pat Fernando and Mr. G. N. S. Hameed whose doors were open to us at all times. Mr. John Isaacs for his valuable assistance in establishing contacts with people whose help and advice were an asset to the artistes and the club.
There was Mohammed Faleel who performed a gigantic task in all matters of publicity and printing of the programmes, and Mr. George Brown and Mr.Rex White both talented musicians, for taking time off their jobs to lead and guide us, especially during rehearsals.
Mr. Milroy Hepponstall who had the difficult task of getting the lighting to perfection at each show and did it to perfection every time. His assistance was invaluable. And words alone cannot express our gratitude to Mr.Cyril Brown without whose assistance this club and the whole musical odyssey which was “Stardust” would not have been possible.
And from our hearts, “Thank You” to Mr. P. Don Quintus, Elmo Joachim, and Malin Goonatillake for their moral support specially during rehearsals and whenever we needed somebody to go the extra mile. Sadly, the names of many mentioned here have departed this earth. Readers will know who they are. On behalf of the Kandy Talent Club and all the artistes who graced these shows, I conclude this article with the following tribute to honour their memory –
Those we loved remain with us for love itself lives on
And cherished memories never fade because a loved ones gone
Those we loved can never be more than a thought apart
For as long as there is a memory, they live on in our hearts.
Episode 2 of this article will follow.
May you always dance to the music of life
Bernard VanCuylenburg.
