A world of Music – De Lanerolle brothers mesmerize Sydney with musical Waves of Splendor – (Review and acknowledgements by Chitran Duraisamy)
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With the lights dimmed a hush descended at Day Spring Church Castle Hill on Aug 18. The ensemble goes into drive mode and the tone for the night is set with “The Greatest Showman”. For the next two hours, The De Lanerolle Brothers along with Rushan Hewawasam & the ConChord Choir treated Sydney siders to an array of musical delights.
Who are they and where did they come from? Questions that are no longer associated with these 2 powerhouse musical entities. However this was a first for Sydney and a brief background is warranted. Launched as a duo-act in 2009 The De Lanerolle Brothers career sky rocketed with a series of local and international appearances. They have shared the stage with Aaron Neville and The Branford Marsalis Quartet in New Orleans and have performed alongside Olivia Newton John & The Bellamy Brothers. They have sung at Carnegie Hall and for internationally renowned musical director Battista Pradal. Back home they have regular sell-out shows at Water’s Edge, The Hilton Grand Ballroom to name just two and despite their gruelling music commitments also run a successful Tea business.
Rushan Hewawasam & the ConChord Choir are well regarded in Melbourne and it was a treat to have them visit Sydney. Comprised mostly of semi-professional musicians the choir was formed to serve the two-pronged purpose of creating great music and to promote peace and reconciliation within the community. Far removed from that image of a stern, serious-faced conductor furiously waving that baton with his back turned to the audience, Rushan’s laid-back style and sense of humor at engaging the audience was very refreshing.
From a musical aspect a concert of this type it is no easy feat; acoustics aside how does one combine the range of songs that span from choral, classical, pop, Broadway and opera? However this is what transpired on the night and the “mood switch” was seamless. The audience clapped wildly when the singers invited the crowd to join in popular songs Spanish Eyes and Sweet Caroline. Even those who were tone deaf felt six feet tall and full of gusto after “When the saints go marching in”.
Commanding the stage with his rendition of “Old Man River” Ishan clearly demonstrated his musical “depth” literally by hitting that lower “D” on the scale perfectly ; any other mortal would have “landed in jail” attempting this! Made famous to us Lankans who grow up in the 70’s by Lylie Godrige this song also reminded the writer of another sonorous bass singer Mahen Peiris (R.I.P) and no doubt fondly remembered by the brothers too during their days with The Revelation Gospel Singers.
During various stages of the performance, instrumental accompaniment was injected to create that live symphonic feel. There was even an adorable kid’s choir segment and Prince fans were blown away by the music arrangement of “Purple Rain”. Rushan’s versatility was evident by his powerful singing voice and gentle touch on the keyboard as well. Being reminded of a past era and perhaps hankering for days gone-by, many in the audience could not resist when the ensemble sang the Tamil song “Chinna Chinna Aasai” followed by the heart-rendering Sinhalese version of “Master Sir”.
The night’s performance was bolstered thanks to the very talented pianist Lorna Ogilvie who glided over the ivories effortlessly. Little wonder why she is a much sort-after music teacher and held in high esteem. Rohan acknowledged her for making this a memorable night and as a mark of mutual respect the choir dedicated “Wind beneath my wings” to the brothers. The underlying “key” to use a musical term of the night was the brilliant harmony delicately balanced to perfection regardless of what song and genre.
Somewhere amidst this musical array of fine singing, a quick 20 minute break was observed in typical Sri Lankan fashion to sample short-eats, and Kothu packets. Partnering with the STC OBA who sponsored this night was Siva of Blue Elephant Catering.
The 2 sessions flowed seamlessly and if the refreshments did not satisfy the audience appetite, the music surely did. In between the blockbuster vocal performance the three main stars of the night, Rohan, Ishan and Rushan enthuses the audience with stage banter. The chemistry between them was enchanting and what we got was a satisfied serving of music (still wanting more).
The grand finale came in the form of a musical piece of ingenuity – symbolising ‘who we are and where we came from’ the ensemble raised the rafters with a brilliant fusion of Waltzing Matilda & Sri Lanka Matha.
The writer wishes to acknowledge the commitment of the Sydney STC OBA NSW/ACT towards this project – the venue was carefully selected due to its acoustic appeal. Many noteworthy singers\bands from Sri Lanka who visit are “hosted” at halls that do not do justice to their craft and skill. Thank you for a perfect night and as Kumar Rasiah our master of ceremonies concluded “from the secular to the sacred, from Hollywood to Broadway” the performers won our hearts.
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