Christmas time
Mistletoe and wine
Children singing
Christian rhyme
With logs on the fire
And gifts on the tree
A time to rejoice
In the good that we see
Cliff Richard no doubt has to be acclaimed for creating this song that reflects with simple sincerity the spirit of Christmas and Metho Cantanti in their performance at Taj Samudra made the song more profound in its meaning when they gave it a swinging approach under the expert direction of Manique Abeyratne, on December 20.
The choirs' performance of Christmas carols and songs turned out to be a lasting impression on the well patronised audience at the Latitude, that day.
Metho Cantanti opened their performance singing the well loved Joy To The World, with arrangements by Manique Abeyratne. In fact most of the carols and songs had the Manique stamp on them with regard to the arrangements. The more than 20 repertoire that the choir sang was a delight to listen to as the overall arrangements were changed, a little bit here and a little bit there to make it different and there's no denying that it was a welcome change. What were the other songs they sang? Well, there were It’s beginning to look like Christmas, Winter Wonderland, Carol of the Bells, White Christmas, Mary's Boy, Rudolf, Jingle Bells – the arrangement was Manique's, All I want for Christmas, Buon Natale, George Michael's poignant Last Christmas, Cliff Richard's Christmas Time, the solo by Manique the lilting Let it Snow, and more ending with Feliz Navidad.
I think they are the choir so far that has such a wide repertoire of Christmas songs and carols, that it was a pleasure to listen to them as they brought to life the joys of Christmas.
Metho Cantanti is the most popular choir of Methodist College, Colombo and is directed by Anagi Perera and Manique Abeyratne. Formed in 2010 as the Methodist College Old Girls' Choir, in the space of two years the choir changed its name to Metho Cantanti in 2010. Christmas music is not the only music the choir concentrates on.
Their repertoire includes a wide selection of Sacred Music and Secular music including Classical, Gospel, Broadway and Pop which they have performed at various venues including the Cathedral of Christ the Living Saviour, the Lionel Wendt and in some of the leading 5 star hotels in Colombo.
The classical performances have included works by Mozart, Mendelssohn, Rutter, Roukema and David Goodall. As for the Broadway musicals Metho Cantanti have performed I dreamed a dream, Do you Hear the People Sing from Les Miserables, Popular and Defying Gravity from Wicked.
Apart from these Broadway musicals Metho Cantanti sing interesting arrangements from Mama Mia and Annie, songs by One Direction, Bruno Mars, Justin Bieber, Shawn Mendis, Bon Jovi, One Republic, Imagine Dragons, Taylor Smith and Katy Perry. What is attractive about the whole repertoire is that Manique Abeyratne makes it a point to change the arrangement of the songs to make it more attractive and richer for the audience as well as for the choir who undoubtedly give of their best and enjoy themselves immensely.
The solos were taken by Gayathri Sellathurai in Mistletoe and Wine, Rebecca Surenthiraraj in Mary Did You Know, Kishani Mayan in All I Want and Koshala Mayan in Last Christmas.
As I write this, news came to us of the passing of George Michael whose music career as Wham, his solo career and his Christmas music is lost to the music world. So I'd like to close, reviving memories of his Christmas music that will surely go down in the books as a standard.
Last Christmas I gave you my heart
But the very next day
you gaveit away.
Thus year to save me from tears.
I'll give it to someone special.
.......................